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Uganda: MPs Want to End Safari Company's Gorilla Monopoly
Members of Parliament have demanded the termination of monopoly rights given to a private firm that operates lodging facilities for tourists visiting gorilla sites in southwestern Uganda.

The MPs from the Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, in their latest findings say the monopoly has locked out over 60 other tour operators.

The committee has been investigating monopoly claims after tour operators petitioned parliament claiming that the concession agreement signed between the Uganda Safari Company (TUSC) and the local communities neighbouring the gorilla sites and Uganda Wildlife Authority had frustrated their business interests.

TUSC signed a contract to market the gorilla permits and manage Nkuringo Eco-Lodge on behalf of the local communities.

Based on the agreement, the Uganda Wildlife Authority granted TUSC a monopoly on gorilla permits to the Nkuringo group, which are now tied to staying at the eco-lodge.

"This arrangement unfairly gives TUSC too much advantage over everybody else in the industry," the petition by the Association of Uganda Tour Operators stated.

"We would like to propose that this whole arrangement be cancelled and the permits not only be freed but also be returned to the general pool for sale by UWA as mandated by an Act of Parliament."

Already, the tour operators believe they could lose their rights to their Rwandan counterparts, who are better organised via tourism campaigns and strategic positioning.

Benon Kwizera, chairman of Kisoro Tourism Association, had earlier asked the MPs during their tour of the area to amend the contract in line with the country's liberalisation policy.

He said: "We request that permits be free and not a monopoly of Uganda Safari."

The MPs, who visited Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and conducted wide consultations with the surrounding communities in March, have recommended open competition to benefit all parties.

"Investors must allow Ugandans to compete and learn from them. How can government promote a policy [liberalisation] and yet go against it?"

"Let the monopoly license not tie up everybody in the industry. That contract should be withdrawn. And it can only be possible if parliament intervenes," Joseph Mugambe, a member of the committee, said last week. "We now have to look for a political decision. We have to abandon the legal redress."

Although UWA has been singled out as the lead agency that has backed the monopoly rights, the wildlife body denies wrongdoing.

"The insinuation that UWA is favouring one operator against all the others has no basis and is very unfortunate. UWA is mindful of the interests and stakes that each stakeholder has in gorilla tourism, and we work continuously to ensure that these interests are met without jeopardising the sector," Lillian Nsubuga, UWA public relations manager says on her organisation's website.

According to Geoffrey Baluku, a board member of the Uganda Tourism Association, more than 90 per cent of visitors to Kisoro are linked to a gorilla permit.

"With the allocation of six permits (75 per cent of the available permits) to the Uganda Safari Company, there has been a decline of over 80 per cent of the Kisoro hoteliers' bookings," said Mr Baluku.

"We are all against the monopoly of giving six permits to one lodge. We want to do normal competitive business, as is usual everywhere else," he added.

When UWA began habituating the Nkuringo Gorilla Group in 1997, it was meant to help increase the opportunities for gorilla tracking by tourists.

During the habituation process, however, it was discovered that part of the range area for this gorilla group was on community land and communities often suffered crop damage and loss of income.

Subsequently, discussions were held between UWA, the local communities and other stakeholders such as the International Gorilla Conservation Programme and the African Wildlife Foundation to find solutions.

The Nkuringo community, which later constituted itself into the Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation then later gave up some four square kilometres for gorillas.

It was then agreed that mechanisms be put in place to ensure that the communities get substantial benefits from the newly habituated gorilla group especially since they had willingly decided to give up the land for gorilla conservation.

To address the challenge different stakeholders decided that a tourist accommodation facility be constructed and owned by the communities as a source of income.

"The idea was to let the actual community benefit from the Gorilla's, but clearly not from the permits. So it must come from the accommodation side and what was decided was an eco-luxury Lodge. The community came up with the idea," Mr Baluku said.

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/
 

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