Browsing by Author "Sebaggala, Richard"

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    The 14 Cost of Commercial Motorcycle Accidents in Uganda
    (Taylor & Francis, 2017-04-21) Sebaggala, Richard; Matovu, Fred; Ayebale, Dan; Kisenyi, Vincent; Katusiimeh, Messarck
    Understanding the cost of the road traffic accidents (RTAs) has been of interest to many scholars and policy makers for a long time. In Uganda like many developing countries in Africa, injuries due to motorcycle accidents represent a major but often neglected emerging public health problem and contribute significantly to the overall road traffic injuries. This research study therefore explored the costs of motorcycle accidents and the pain, grief and sufferings of the motorcycle accident victims using a multi-method approach. Unlike many studies on cost of accidents which use the traditional human capital approach, this study in addition to the human capital approach, applied the Willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach to estimate the cost of motorcycle accidents. WTP method was used to estimate the value that boda boda riders would pay for reducing the risk of loss of life based on Contingent Valuation (CV) method. We extend the analysis to also explore the key coping mechanisms adopted by the Boda- boda riders amidst the challenges the riders face when they suffer motorcycle accidents. The data were obtained from multiple sources, including a survey of 1600 boda boda cyclists in Kawempe and Central divisions in Kampala City, interviews with accident victims and their immediate family members, traffic police records, hospitals and national statistics on selected economic aggregates. The results show that motorcycle accidents are associated with huge economic and non-economic burden borne by the accident victims and the society as a whole. The study established that it costs approximately 7 million shillings (or 2800 USD) to treat a boda boda accident victim who is severely injured. Based on annual police statistics on motorcycle accidents for 2012; the Ugandan economy losses more than UGX 3 billion (1.2m USD) value of output due to days away from productive work as result of severe injuries and death. Likewise, the cost of motorcycle repairs amounted to UGX 350 million (140,000 USD). The study also estimated the value of preventing motorcycle accidents. The estimates show that on average boda boda riders are willing to pay Ug Shs 222,550 (89 USD) a year for a reduction in mortality risks associated with motorcycle accidents that translate into UGX 4.45 billion (US$1.78m), the value of statistical life (VOSL). Overall, the combined economic burden of the motorycle accidents (repairs, medical costs, lost output and imputed cost of pain grief and suffering) were estimated to be approximately US$ 3.6 million annually. This cost is about 0.02% of Uganda’s GDP in 2013. The key policy implication of the study is that reducing motorcycle causalities and fatalities will reduce social and economic sufferings of victims, unlock growth and free resources for more productive use. The findings provide the cost-benefit analysis of any investment in areas that will promote the prevention, treatment, care and management of motorcycle accidents in Uganda.
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    The cost of commercial motorcycle accidents in Uganda
    (Routledge - Taylor & Francis, 2017-04) Sebaggala, Richard; Matovu, Fred; Ayebale, Dan; Kisenyi, Vincent; Katusiimeh, Messarck
    Road traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death and injuries globally. In Africa, road traffic accidents constitute 25 percent of all injury-related deaths which claim the most economically productive population. This book chapter is part of an edited volume which contains empirical studies on determinants of poverty and its reduction in Africa. It looks at multidimensional measures of poverty, production and productivity related factors, policies influencing poverty and random, hazardous but preventive factors influencing poverty levels and their reduction.
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    The effects of Agricultural Extension Services on farm yields in Uganda: evidence from Agriculture Census Data
    (2015) Sebaggala, Richard; Matovu, Fred
    The present study investigates the productivity effects of agricultural extension services in Uganda drawing upon Uganda Agriculture Census (UCA) data (2008/2009). The descriptive show that 21% of farming households had accessed extension services from public and other providers. The proportion of household who initiated contact extension were only 3% compared to 8% through predetermined visits by extension agents and 10% through both routine and on demand. However, it was revealed that popular information sources among farmers were radio (88%) and fellow farmers (72%). We estimated treatment effect of extension contact using counterfactual framework. Results of the treatment effect model show a significant effect of access to extension services on yield. On average, farming households who had extension contact were more productive than farming households with no extension contact Implementing the ivtreatreg stata command that take care of the selection into homogeneous and heterogeneous treatment, we estimated the average treatment effect (ATE), average treatment effects on the treated (ATET) and average treatment effects on the non-treated (ATENT). The ATE had a negative sign meaning that farming households who had extension contact would have been less productive if they had not got access to extension services. The negative average value of ATET (x) implies that farming households who had extension contact would on average produce less than one tonne per acreage if they get more access to extension services, demonstrating diminishing returns associated with more and more extension contacts. The mean value of the ATENT(x) predict that on average farming households who had no extension contact would have been more productive if they had extension access. Crop productivity OLS and 2SLS estimates show that extension contact matters for farmer productivity more so if extension contact is initiated by farmer. The study recommends that extension contact has favouarble effect on farmer productivity and therefore efforts should be geared at reforming the extension system to reach the majority of unreached farmers and focus more on empowering farmers to demand extension services themselves.
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    Ill-health and labour market outcomes in Uganda: evidence from 2005/06 national household survey
    (2012) Matovu, Fred; Birungi, Patrick; Sebaggala, Richard
    This study set out to examine the impact of ill-health on labour market outcomes in Uganda using UNHS 2005/06. Specifically, the study examined the potential economic loss of ill-health and the effects of ill-health on labour market participation, productivity and labour supply across gender and residence. We estimated three models: labour market participation, labour productivity and labour supply models. Ordinary Least Squares and two-stage Instrumental variable estimation methods were used to estimate the impact of ill-health on productivity and labour supply. The study results show that the cost of absenteeism due to ill-health was estimated to be equivalent to USD 1. 8m per year, about 0.02% of GDP in 2005. The annual average number of days worked falls as health state deteriorates and that poor health significantly lowers the number of days worked in year compared to good health. Malaria was found to be a major cause of illness among workers despite the existing cost-effective and efficacious interventions to combat malaria. The study recommends increased support to the health sector to enhance performance of the existing health interventions and improve access to healthcare services particularly to the poor. The study revealed that ill-health negatively impacts economic growth through reduced economic output due to work absenteeism. This is implies that investment in health programs has economic value by averting GDP loss due to poor health of workers. In addition, ill-health of workers affects labour market outcomes through labour supply and labour force participation but not labour productivity. The results therefore calls for health improving interventions in countries were funding to the health sector as remained low and stagnant. The improvement in labour participation and supply as result of improved health generates economic benefits to worker, the household, employer and overall economy and therefore a feasible poverty-reducing strategy.
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    Revealed comparative advantage and competitiveness of Uganda’s exports with the rest of the world
    (2008-04) Sebaggala, Richard
    This paper examined the comparative advantage and competitiveness of Uganda’s exports with the rest world and how this has changed over the period between 2000 and 2005 with a trade-based index of the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA). Data used in this study was obtained from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UNCOMTRADE), based on Standard International Trade Classification. The results revealed that Uganda has a comparative advantage in indigenous sectors such as food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, crude materials, inedible except fuels and animal and vegetable oils and fats. Food and live animals sector has a strikingly high comparative advantage with a revealed comparative advantage. In construct, manufacturing sectors producing mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, chemicals, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles have a comparative disadvantage. However, these sectors revealed improvement in comparative advantage with the exception of mineral fuels, lubricants and related material. The paper recommends among others, protection and improvement in those sectors that recorded competitiveness. Strengthening the competitiveness of these products against rivalry countries could help in reinforcing and developing the potentials of the Uganda’s products in the world market.
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    Trade Liberalization, Export and Import Growth: Evidence from Uganda
    (2009) Kilimani, Nicholas; Sebaggala, Richard
    The study explores the impact of trade liberalization on export and import growth in Uganda. A number of developing countries have opened up their own economies to take full advantage of the resultant opportunities for economic development through trade. Proponents of trade liberalization envisage positive results emanating from the increased competition in the sector. For instance, liberalization aids competition in the market, by increasing the basket of goods and services with better quality and lower prices. However, trade liberalization in developing countries has been criticized for increasing import penetration on the pretext of opening up the sector to more competition. The reason is that trade policy reforms tend to have a more immediate effect on the imports than on the exports. This concern has motivated researchers to investigate whether or not the impact of trade liberalization has been greater on export growth than on import growth. This is because Uganda is one of the countries to have implemented significant economic reforms, including the liberalization of the trade regime, over the last two decades and a half. These reforms have been both external and domestic. Substantial progress has been made to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers through the EAC. The study investigated the issue using macro and micro analysis of the Ugandan economy. The macro analysis was employed by estimating the export and import models estimated using Vector Error-Correction modeling (VECM) using time series macroeconomic data for the period 1981-2009. The results of the study suggest that trade liberalization has led more to growth in imports than exports. The macro study findings are in line with previous observations made by Morrissey, et al., (2003); Santos-Paulino (2003); Santos-Paulino & Thirlwall (2004) and Hye & Mashkoor (2010). With regard to the micro analysis several, issues under the trade sector were highlighted that could be linked to the macro evidence which were; larger growth in imports than exports. Such critical issues included the adverse effect of the dismantling of the marketing boards, the inadequacy of the trade sector infrastructure, the low value addition and limited research and dissemination of the ever-changing trends in international trade regarding the products on high demand, the standards required to access such markets as well as the absence of value chains in the tradeables sectors. These have served to inhibit export growth. These issues were manifested at a macro level analysis for instance in the weak significance of the coefficient of the foreign income as well in that of the reel exchange rate in the export growth model. This specifically is in terms of the inability for exports to substantially respond to changes in foreign income as well as prices. The findings point to a number of policy implications that require attention. The need for vigorous marketing campaigns for Uganda’s exports and improvements in the physical infrastructure in terms of road, rail and port as well as the trade mechanism specifically, the need to streamline production and marketing in order to boost the country’s export potential. This strictly calls for the development of value chains in the entire tradable sectors. A very good case of best practice that would potentially increase Uganda’s exports is that of Good African coffee which is operational in one sub region in the coffee sector. This needs to be replicated across all tradeable sectors in a scrupulous manner. This in addition also involves expansion and harnessing the production and export of new dynamic products such as fish, vegetables and cut–flowers away from the traditional commodity exports. Such interventions according to the authors are among the means to close the gap between export and import growth following trade liberalization. Any interventions short of these may not in any way help to close the ever increasing trade deficit which has been discussed at length in the background to the economy section of the study.