Seasonal Greetings from the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) and welcome to the 13^th Issue of our Economic Briefer. This Issue of the Briefer addresses economic vulnerabilities in the wake of COVID-19.

The 13^th Issue of the Briefer is themed around addressing economic vulnerability in the wake of COVID-19. Sub-Saharan Africa was gripped with rising economic vulnerability long before the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the pandemic has explicitly exposed significant economic vulnerabilities for populations across the sub-continent. The riots and protests such as those the world witnessed in South Africa reflected a continent that was not well equipped to deal with the economic hardships occasioned by the pandemic. Most of us expected COVID-19 to be under control by now. However, the pandemic and the associated containment measures continue to heighten the economic risks households are facing in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It is against this background that the 13^th Issue of the Briefer seeks to stimulate debate and propose interventions to address economic vulnerabilities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefer carries a leading article from David Walakira on citizens participation in Uganda's public financial management. It also carries an article from the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) addressing economic exclusion in South African arising from COVID-19. SAIIA is an independent public policy think tank in South Africa and it is one of the leading institutes in economic research on the continent. The Briefer has also features an article from David Walakira and Emmanuel Keith Kisaame, both Research Fellows at ACODE examining the increasing fuel prices in Uganda the related implications for economic exclusion.

As always, we invite Your Feedback to help us improve. If you missed Issue 12, find it here. Please note that while ACODE is the publisher of this briefer, the views expressed herein are strictly for the authors. They do not represent organisational positions for ACODE or the organisations where our contributing authors work.

Finally, as the year winds down, I take the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.