Kampala | The government of Uganda faces a major shutdown on Tuesday, tndNews has exclusively learnt.
According to reliable information, the government owes Soliton Telmec Uganda up to US$17,643,656.33 from 2019 to date.
Soliton manages the government’s National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) under the supervision of the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U).
Currently, Soliton, through NBI, manages the government’s e-services with URA, Bank of Uganda, and the Immigration Department, among other MDAs as its key clients.
In a letter dated April 2, 2024, by Hamdi Ali Muhamed, CEO of Soliton Telmec Limited to the Executive Director of NITA-U, Dr Mugasa Hatwib, the former urged for an urgent meeting to avert the looming shutdown.
“As you are aware, our company dedicates a lot of resources and heavily invests into operation and maintenance of the NBI. These operations are hinged on the resources provided by not only our company but also other service providers such as power suppliers, fuel suppliers and spare parts suppliers.
“You are also aware that there is a substantial outstanding balance amounting to [refer above] owed to Soliton Telmec. A part of this money is the capital reserved to cater for the operations and maintenance of the NBI,” Hamadi wrote.
He added: “We note that there have been delays on the part of the government in respect to remittance of funds owed to Soliton. Even then, we have persisted in utilizing our own funds to sustain NBI operations. However, we would like to inform you that our reserves are completely drained and without funds, the NBI may be interrupted due to inability to meet various obligations.”
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to request for an urgent meeting with your esteemed office within 7 days to address this issue to avert this impending mishap from happening,” Ali told Mugasa.
This publication has now been told that Soliton has given the government only up to Tuesday, April 9 to pay them to avoid what a source describes as “the looming shutdown of all the government e-systems”.
“The situation has been exacerbated because they (Soliton) received no payment for the last three quarters,” Kwania County MP, Tonny Ayoo who doubles as the Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on ICT & National Guidance, told tndNews on Friday.
“The government is able to access the data centre through the NBI. As you are aware, we are going to a digital economy where most of the government operations and systems are automated and all these automation are transmitted through the National Backbone Infrastructure. Now, if there is going to be any shut down then you know the government won’t operate because most of the systems are online,” MP Ayoo explains.
“First of all, the Uganda Revenue Authority has over 100 sites across the country where they collect revenues and use automated systems. When there is a breakdown on the network (as there have always been complaints at the borders where trucks are parked even for over 60km). So, should Soliton fail to provide for NBI to run then the collection of revenue for the government is going to be affected.”
The government can lose “hundreds of billions if we don’t operate for one day”, MP Ayoo says, adding that “borders, the immigration operates using the data from the data centre through NBI”.
“That means the borders are not going to operate, provision of passports, provision of drivers licences, the NIRA is not going to be possible.”
Should the shutdown take place next week, the Lawmaker asserts that the hospitals won’t be spared either as some use the internet provided through NBI.
“The issue of shutdown is not a small thing, it’s like the government will just sit and watch because your bloodstream has been cut off.”
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Phone calls and mobile services, the Kwania County MP says could also be affected should the shutdown happen because companies like MTN use the same infrastructure.
“As a committee in charge of ICT & NG, we are urging the government on two things: one, we get into a negotiation as requested by Soliton to ensure that we pay them some amount to enable them to run, pay their suppliers.
“We also would wish to urge Soliton that they give the government time – take some money payment now then allow us to work out how to clear these arrears.
On Friday evening, a senior government official said efforts for negotiations with “hungry and angry” Soliton were underway.
The official did not mention how much of the outstanding payment would be made to allow the effective running of the government.
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