By David Rupiny
One of Government of Uganda’s efforts towards a green economy is the phasing out the production of plastic packaging products in favour of recyclable and biodegradable paper products.
To that end, the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and other players, is promoting investments in paper packaging products in order to grow a robust and sustainable green economy.
UIA has licensed at least 10 industries involved in production of paper packaging products, with many polythene-producing industries also repurposing to start producing paper products.
One of the leading lights in the manufacture of recyclable and biodegradable paper products is Crane Paper Ltd., located in UIA-operated Bweyogerere Industrial Estate, eight kilometers to the east of central Kampala.
The seven-million-dollar investment, according to chief executive Aniket Patel, has a monthly production capacity of 600 tonnes of paper products. The products range from scholastic materials like books to packaging materials for both light and heavy products like sugar and cement.
According to Patel, Crane Paper employs directly 200 Ugandans (during the Covid pandemic), majority of whom are young people who have been trained on the job.
The factory’s biggest challenge, before Covid pandemic disruptions, was meeting increasing demand for environmentally friendly paper products. The import is that there is room for growth in Uganda’s green economy.
Investment Minister, Hon. Evelyn Anite, said investments in the manufacturing of paper products is one of the key solutions in dealing with environmental challenges posed by dumping of polythene packaging and other products.
The minister made the remarks during a location visit to the factory to highlight green investment opportunities in Uganda.
Minister Anite said paper products have not only a huge and ready market but present vast investment opportunities. She said demand for paper packaging and other products is growing by leaps and bounds and encouraged Ugandans to venture into the sub-sector.
The Chair of the UIA Board, Mr. Morrison Rwakakamba, reiterated that plastics are dangerous to the environment, adding that the only sustainable way out is to promote sustainable green industries, like Crane Paper.
Rwakakamba called for more investments in the green economy and encouraged manufacturers of polythene products to transition to production of environmentally friendly products.
Minister Anite, as well as Chair Rwakakamba and Director General Robert Mukiza emphasized that UIA’s critical role is to provide the necessary support to investors interested in the manufacture of paper products.
UIA offered investment license and land to Crane Paper to set up the factory in a serviced industrial park, and has literally walked with it from the beginning up to scale.
The Authority is promoting investments in paper packaging products, as well as other green products, through various services and incentives.
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