Members on the parliamentary committee on finance, planning, and economic development have hailed as “spot-on and relevant” the initiative by the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) to transition traders of imported goods to the manufacture of similar.
UIA launched the initiative in 2024 to enable importers and traders to take advantage of various incentives offered for those who invest in projects that boost import substitution, kick-starting with traders from Kikuubo, Kampala’s business district.
Many of the traders say that although they have the capacity and resources to get into manufacturing, they lack knowledge of the processes, whose gap UIA is now filling.
During the presentation of UIA’s Ministerial Policy Statement for the financial year 2025/26, the MPs said the idea of encouraging and facilitating traders to transition is not only relevant but has the potential of translating into more domestic investors.
The MP for Tororo County, Godfrey Ekanya, said UIA should not only speed up the “traders-to-manufacturers” initiative but spread it to various groups like bodabodas (motorcycle taxis), women and youth groups, as well as other social groups. He said it is important to increase the number of ordinary Ugandans in manufacturing.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Moses Aleper (Chekwii Country), said UIA is making a significant contribution to Uganda’s economic development and transformation, adding that the Authority should ensure that it captures and owns that contribution.
The MP for Buyanja East in Kibaale District, Hon. Emely Kugonza, said the government should invest in industrial parks because of the many multiplier effects, adding that UIA, as the main investment promotion agency, should be given adequate budget support.
The Director General of UIA, Robert Mukiza, said all efforts will be made to transition as many Ugandans as possible from trading to manufacturing.
In line with the Fourth National Development Plan and the Ten-fold Growth Strategy, UIA will prioritise investments in agroprocessing, tourism, minerals, science, technology, and innovation.
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