Mbale City Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Karim Masaba, has asked the government to give more attention to the tourism sector.
Following the massive numbers that graced the Uganda Martyrs’ celebration yesterday, Masaba says that Namugongo has the potential to attract more tourists across the world.
“Over 3 million people used to come to Namugongo before Covid. In my opinion, we should levy a tax on the foreigners who come in for this pilgrimage,” says Masaba.
He adds, “The government has not given tourism enough attention even though it contributes over 8% of the GDP. The money that facilitated the Namugongo celebrations came from a supplementary budget and it was like a by the way.”
He urges the government to invest in the roads surrounding the Martyrs’ shrine and also construct affordable accommodation around the area.