GLOBAL SMART DIALOGUE IN UGANDA ENDS ON POSITIVE NOTE

From Newmond Tibin

MUNYONYO (Uganda), July 29 (Bernama) -- The 19th Global Smart Partnership
Dialogue ended Wednesday with a positive spirit of partnership and renewed
commitment to moving forward to achieve national visions.

Heads of government and smart partners who participated in the dialogue,
acknowledged that the event had not only resulted in beneficial exchanges but
also served as a useful guidance for all to strike win-win solutions in
promoting development and to further facilitate inter-regional trade and
investment.

The dialogue also has become a useful platform for sharing practical
experiences from both public and private sectors on isssues relating to
development and regional cooperation.

No wonder Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin believes that the
smart partnership dialogue can be of help in the development of a common
national vision.

He said the focus of the dialogue should be geared towards developing a
clear understanding of each partner and the strengths and limitations of
stakeholders, and to promote trust, patience and tolerance.

"We should also be willing to compromise which could lead to a win-win
result for all partners. Any gains should be fairly shared as well as benefited
by the partners," he said at the conclusion of the three-day event at Speke
Resort here.

He said the heads of government and smart partners had been given ample
time to exchange views, experiences and ideas on various issues ranging from
trade, financial crisis, regional integration, the role of media, innovation,
research and development to the various challenges in achieving national
visions.

"We also shared a number of success stories relating to the transformation
of national or regional resources into centres of development which among others
include the Munyonyo resort, Putrajaya and Iskandar Malaysia," he said.

Muhyiddin said that among the major threats to achieving national visions
were political instability, weak bureaucratic system, poor infrastructure and
limited resources.

"National vision is a shared responsibility whereby everyone according to
their ability should take part in realising the goals of the national
vision.

"Peace, political inclusiveness and integrity are fundamental elements in
realising the goals of national vision while integrity could only be achieved
through tolerance, transparency and trust," he said.

He also said regional integration would help generate economic growth by
offering opportunities for market access.

He said regional integration was crucial for promoting trade and investment
as well as facilitating the formation of more strategic business alliances and
business environment.

It offers opportunities for business to operate in a competitive and
business-friendly environment which could bring greater prosperity to the people
within the region, he said.

He said the Financial Inclusion Advisory Programme was a key agent for
economic development, thus providing practical solutions to socio-economic
issues such as poverty eradication.

Muhyiddin said the smart partnership dialogue also recognised the importance
of micro-financing as a useful platform to engage micro-enterprises and
businesses in rural areas and in various economic sectors.

"It provides easy access to the physical infrastructure, good communication
system as well as business advisory services," he said.

On the media, he said the media plays an important role to impart news and
information to the people expeditiously and effectively.

"Now, media becomes a viable forum or medium for both government and the
nation to advance their national interests," he said.

The media also has a role in safeguarding national interests and it should
convey an objective and fair information for the benefit of the public, he
added.

He hoped that the ideas and experiences derived from the Global Smart
Partnership Dialogue 2009 would serve as a catalyst to assist the partners to
move forward.

At the end of his remarks, Muhyiddin announced that Malaysia would be
hosting the next Langkawi International Dialogue next year, to the
applause of the participants symbolising their support for the event.

This year's smart dialogue, themed "Towards a Smarter Globe: The Smart
Partnership Way For Realising Socio-economic Transformation Through Regional
Integration", also saw Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni criticising Africa's
continued dependence on donors and saying the slow release of funds to critical
sectors was frustrating.

The donors had promised to fund crucial sectors like the construction of
roads but did not deliver, thus creating political problems because "the people
think we are not doing our work", he had said.

The meeting was also attended by Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Jakaya Kikwete
of Tanzania, Rupiah Banda of Zambia, Museveni and King Mswati III of Swaziland.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a founding member of
the smart partnership movement, was also there.

Among the smart partners were people distinguished in many disciplines and
professions in a wide range of fields such as academia, technology, politics,
the civil service, industry, labour, culture and the media.

Smart dialogues are organised by the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology
Management (CPTM) together with host governments and have been held in Malaysia,
Eastern Africa (Uganda), Southern Africa (Bostwana, Namibia, Zimbabwe,
Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and Zambia, and the Carribean (Barbados).

CPTM was established in 1995 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit
in Auckland, New Zeland, and has pioneered innovative ways of taking new ideas
forward in its smart partnership international dialogues.
-- BERNAMA