Uganda’s government has appointed minister Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut as the coordinator (focal person) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Karooro is the minister for general duties in the office of the prime minister and also Bushenyi District Woman MP.

On Thursday, speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga told plenary she was pleased with Karooro’s appointment.

“Today I am a very happy person. We have been asking government for some time to give us a focal person for SDGS, and you remember the Millennium Development Goals ended without any report in this House,” said Kadaga.

“We are really happy for you [Karooro] and happy for the country.”

The speaker was hopeful Karooro would fast track the implementation of SDGs.

“As you aware, I have been harassing you to give an evaluation of SDGs in your reports. We hope she will develop an action plan.”

On her part, Karooro said: “SDGS are just a universal call that by 2030 we should see an end to poverty, have a better climate, our environment should be clean among other goals.”

She then asked for expedition of SDGs impementation.

“Now that we have started the new budget cycle, we expect all the policy statements to give us an update of how far we have gone in implementation of SDGs,” she said.

“Remember the target is 2030, unless we start like yesterday we shall not achieve our target.”