Why One-Stop Centre for Investors?
- The One-Stop Centre (OSC) was established through Cabinet Minute CT 08 (2014) to respond to calls for better efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of Government business and investment services; became operational in 2016.
- It offers a digital and physical pathway to 16+ key Government investment and business support services under one roof.
- It offers seamless, integrated, and user-oriented investment and business support services under one roof.
- Improves efficiency, coordination, and integration of joined-up multi-policy investment and support services.
- It delivers substantial savings in time and costs for users.
- It centralizes and simplifies investment and business regulatory compliance.
- It improves opportunities for private sector development through stimulation of investment and business environment reforms.
- It laser focuses Government’s interaction with investors and businesspeople.
- It contributes to overall ease of doing business
Structure of the OSC
- Clients transact physically on the Ground Floor of the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre on Plot 1, Baskerville Avenue, Kololo, Kampala.
- Clients transact electronically/virtually from anywhere in the world at www.ebiz.go.ug
Agencies in the OSC
Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Registration Services Bureau, Uganda Revenue Authority, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, National Environment Management Authority, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Umeme, Federation of Ugandan Employers, Diamond Trust Bank, Giants.
Services offered at the OSC
Services offered: investment advisory, company registration, intellectual property advisory, citizenship and immigration control, tax registration, tax compliance advisory, environmental impact assessment and certification, issuance of trading license, issuance of building permits, banking and online payments, certification of products and services, free zones advisory, electricity and water supply services, land title verification, tourism investment advisory, employer-employee relations advisory, social security registration
The OSC in Numbers
- 16 public and private agencies in the OSC
- Average of 100,000 unique business and investment transactions per year
- Since 2016, efficiency to license has increased.
- Turnaround time for issuing investment licenses reduced from a month (prior to eBiz) to less than 24 hours.
Benefits of the OSC:
- Improved efficiency and effectiveness of business and investment support services
- Easy tracking of investment performance (Presidential directives, employment, investment projections)
- Improves opportunities for private sector development.
- Enhances coordination across and within levels of government.
- Provides a holistic, user-friendly and user-oriented service.
- Integrates multi-policy service delivery.
- Creates a mechanism for joined-up government services.
- Eases and simplifies regulatory compliance.
- It boosts business and investment.
- Data storage and source of rich investment insights
- Boosts investment promotion and facilitation
Contributions to National Development Agendas
- The OSC contributes directly to NDP3’s Programme 7: Private Sector Development, with the goal of increasing competitiveness of the private sector to drive sustainable inclusive growth and sustainably lower the cost of doing business.
- The OSC is a critical strategic driver towards achieving the NRM’s Manifesto, especially creating jobs and wealth for Ugandans, and promoting economic and political integration of Africa.
- The OSC address Presidential Directive 4 on reducing the turnaround time of issuing all necessary business and investment licenses and permits.
- The OSC aligns with the UIA strategic objective of improving domestic and international competitiveness and doing business environment.
Ease of doing business
- Annually reviews business and investment services and process to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
- Progressively automates and integrates new services on the OSC online portal to offer services that meet ISO 9001:2015 quality standards.
- Provides a warehouse of investment-related data to promote lower cost of doing business and transparency, thus reducing the loopholes for corruption.
- Conducts business process re-engineering workshops that further reduce the steps or procedures required to offer key business and investment services.
- Undertakes competitiveness studies to establish overall sector advantages and quick-wins and addresses challenges, thereby contributing to improved sector and overall country competitiveness.
- The OSC is a member of the National Competitiveness Forum and the National Business Process Reform Forum.
Accomplishments
- Attained the highly coveted ISO 9001 and 4500 certifications in 2020
- Best E-Government Portal in the Category of Trade and Tourism in the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U) E-Government Awards of 2019.
- Ranked as one of five commendable Government of Uganda policies and best practices in the Second African Union Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Report of 2019.
- Hosted foreign benchmarking missions from Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Tanzania, attesting to its status as a centre of excellence in Africa.
Looking to the Future
- UIA is establishing four (4) Regional One-Stop Centres to take key investment and business services nearer to the regional based clients, and reduce set-up costs.
- Regional OSCs in Arua, Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara
- The Regional OSCs will be integrated with the Regional Business Development Centres.
- Continuous integration of new business and investment services.
- Continuous innovations
- Integration with the UIA National SME Portal
Ground Floor
Uganda Business Facilitation Centre
Plot 1, Baskerville Avenue, Kololo
Call Centre: 0206 300 968