Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has tasked the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) with strengthening evidence-based economic research and policy analysis to support Uganda’s ambition of becoming a $500 billion economy by 2040.
Musasizi made the remarks on Monday while meeting the EPRC Board and management at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Minister Musasizi said high-quality, evidence-based research is critical in helping policymakers make informed decisions that can accelerate Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
The Minister urged EPRC to focus more on research that can support the country’s anchor sectors under the ATMS strategy to deliver Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Agenda.
“Evidence-based research is critical for policymakers to make informed decisions on the socio-economic transformation of the country,” Musasizi said, stressing the need for research that directly informs national development priorities.
Established in 1993 by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Makerere University, EPRC has grown into Uganda’s leading economic policy think tank and a key institution in building the country’s capacity for policy research.
EPRC Executive Director Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting evidence-informed policymaking and contributing to Uganda’s national development strategies.
She said EPRC’s work is aligned with the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the Tenfold Growth Strategy.
Ssewanyana added that the Centre is also prioritising stakeholder engagement, policy uptake, digitisation of research dissemination and improved knowledge management to ensure research findings have a greater impact on national development.
The engagement comes as Uganda seeks to strengthen economic planning and policy implementation in pursuit of its long-term development targets.
