In Uganda, a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is required for all policy and regulatory proposals. A RIA is an analysis of the likely benefits and costs associated with the proposed policy or regulation. It establishes a process by which the government and the public can better understand the full range of potential consequences that the proposal may have on society. The principle of RIA is evidence-based policymaking – RIA seeks to improve the quality of policy and regulatory decisionmaking by examining evidence regarding the potential effects of proposed decisions. Key features of a RIA are:
- A brief, clear introduction that explains the proposed regulation and what the regulation intends to address;
- An explanation and quantification of benefits expected to arise from the proposed regulation, including the main benefits to those affected as well as indirect benefits;
- An assessment of the likely costs, including the main direct costs likely to fall on businesses, government, the environment, and consumers, as well as policy compliance costs and indirect costs; and
- A clear bottom line on the amount of the net benefits.
The RIA process is administered by the Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the relevant line ministry or agency (which for environmental matters is the National Environmental Management Authority). RIAs have just started to be applied to draft environmental policies and regulations, including the National Environment (Control of Smoking in Public Places) Regulations 2004 and the National Environment (Certification and Registration of Environmental Practitioners) Regulations, 2003. RIA has yet to be applied directly to decisions regarding the negotiation or implementation of MEAs.
For more information, contact Ms. Christine Akello at cakello@nemaug.org or info@nemaug.org