HON. AMELIA KYAMBADDE
The Minister of Trade and Industry
 |  Kyambadde urges new export board to narrow deficit Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has commissioned a new 12-member team to head Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) with a task of increasing the country’s exports.While handing over the mantle to Mr Nimrod Waniala Nakisisa, the new UEPB chairman, in Kampala, Ms Kyambadde said: “As a board, you ensure efficient and full service delivery to export Uganda to a middle income country.”Ms Kyambadde urged the members to ensure that the country’s exports growth helps to narrow the trade deficit.Whereas total exports grew by an annual average of 13.8 per cent, the country’s trade deficit was widening at an annual average of 9.98 per cent over the same period.The trade deficit is not on account of declining exports but rather fast growing import demand.Read more ▪  Minister Kyambadde woos Polish investors The Ugandan minister of trade and industry, Amelia Kyambadde, has called upon investors from Poland to take advantage of investment opportunities in Uganda.While meeting the chief executive of Geneva Capital Group (DSBJ), Jerzy Bednarek, in Kampala, Kyambadde told him of the areas Poland can invest in.She talked of investment opportunities in the leather industry, oil and gas, agriculture, minerals development, manufacturing and information communication technology (ICT), transport and logistics and tourisms and wildlife, among others. The current production by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is 201,600 pairs of shoes and 115, 200 pieces of small leather goods, added the minister.Regarding ICT investment opportunities Kyambadde said Polish investors can inject money in software development, hardware assembly, multi-media development, film industry and graphics and rural communication.And in the oil and gas sector, she said Poland can plough capital venture in extraction, refinery, energy generation, supply of goods and infrastructure. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Uganda calls for increased trade among fellow LDCs Uganda has called for improved trade among the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), saying it is the only way they will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) by 2030. During a general debate on how to achieve Agenda 2030 at the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 14) held in Nairobi, Kenya, Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde said: “There is need and urgency to improve infrastructural interconnectivity amongst LDCs in order to address the low level of intra trade among these countries.”The UNCTAD 14 conference was held under the theme: “From decision to action: Moving towards an inclusive and equitable global economic environment for trade and development”. Read more ▪ MOTIC, Amelia Kyambadde: Ugandans advised to explore other markets Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives has urged the Ugandan business community that has been conducting business in South Sudan to explore other market in region.While addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center, Amelia Kyambadde said that the South Sudan market has a highly lucrative business destination; traders need to think twice for their sake of their lives when going there because of the risks.Fresh fighting erupted four days ago in the capital Juba between loyalists of President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the vice president. The two were to lead under a deal to end a two-year civil war that had started towards the end of .Kyambadde said South Sudan became Uganda’s leading export destination following the signing of the comprehensive Peace Agreement with the total exports both formal and informal peaking at US$1.18b (sh3.9 trillion). Read more ▪ Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde: Museveni to deliver keynote address at UNCTAD conferenc President Yoweri Museveni has been invited to give a keynote speech at the upcoming 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) due to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, has said.The conference that shall be held, shall lay emphasis on matters of trade in the region and help Uganda identify opportunities that it can tap into.While addressing the press at the Uganda Media Center, Kyambadde said: “We hope that the outcomes of the conference shall be of great help to trade in the region”. The conference shall be held under the theme: “From decision to action”. She said that it was through past conferences that Uganda acquired the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) software used by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to monitor goods from Mombasa port to Uganda and it has helped to improve on the time taken to transport goods. Read more ▪ Trade ministry takes over investment authority The activities of Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) are now going to be overseen by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Daily Monitor has learnt. In an interview with this newspaper, Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde confirmed the development. Speaking at the sidelines of the launch of the Switch Africa Green (SAG), an initiative developed to support African countries in their transition to using and adapting environmentally-friendly energy in Kampala, Ms Kyambadde said UIA will be one of the agencies under the watch of her ministry.She said: “Discussions have been finalised and even the President (Museveni) has given it a go ahead. We hope by the beginning of the financial year, UIA will be under our ministry.”Ms Kyambadde continued: “We think it belongs here in the Ministry of Trade. All the necessary expertise is here and it will now streamline trade and investment.”For years there have been discussions from some quarters that UIA is misplaced under the Ministry of Finance. According to the private sector leadership, what matters now is the linkage between investment and trade because the two are inseparable. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: SMEs certified to access regional markets Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will now be able to access regional markets to compete competitively after attaining the standardisation and quality certification mark. Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, revealed that more than 60 enterprises had successfully attained certification which would enable them access the regional markets. The minister was officiating at the awarding of certificates to MSMEs by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) with support from the Trade ministry and the Quality Infrastructure Standards Programme (QISP).Thirty six products were certified from 21 MSMEs with both Standardisation Mark (S-Mark) and the Quality Mark (Q-Mark). This allows these companies to access both local and regional markets.“Most of these enterprises face challenges of poor product packaging and labelling which results into poor quality products and as such fail to access certain markets,” she said. Read more ▪ MTIC Amelia Kyambadde: Experts predict a mixed bag for Uganda’s economy Major economic indicators were bent on a weak Shilling, high interest rates and high costs of production. These had a knock-on effect on businesses. There is a unanimous consensus across the board that the just concluded, presented both serious economic challenges and real opportunities—all in equal measures.Trade ministry counts on value addition. The economy is yet to fully recover from the decline of trade as a result of South Sudan instability. According to the Trade, Industry and Cooperative minister Amelia Kyambadde, trade between the two neighbouring countries, Uganda and South Sudan, has since fallen by at least 60 per cent. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Gains and losses from WTO meet Uganda’s Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde is a firm and yet persuasive negotiator.And her technical team of negotiators is equally knowledgeable and skillful, boasting of a wealth of experience in trade negotiations . Despite those amiable traits, all of which are crucial for such a high-level negotiation bargain, Uganda, just like her counterparts - the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), returned home without real tangible concessions or something concrete to be proud of.Briefing the media recently about the outcome of 10th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, Kyambadde said not so much was achieved from the top decision organ meeting held for the first time on African soil When Daily Monitor asked her to rate the gains achieved, she said: “It is about 40 per cent. I don’t think we were happy. Most of us (mostly LDCs) were not happy with many things. But one thing for sure, even though you want to be fair, I can’t see the ratings exceeding 40 per cent.” Read more ▪ MOT: Substandard imports decrease by 30% - government Substandard and counterfeit imports have reduced by 30 per cent, the minister of Trade has disclosed.According to Ms Amelia Kyambadde, the reduction is as a result of the enforcement of a government policy subjecting sensitive imports to quality test before being shipped here. Speaking at ministry of Trade Sector Review Conference, Ms Kyambadde said the reduction that the sector has seen, also tells a story of what a stronger resolve can yield. She said: “The Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme entered its operation with up to 76,618 consignments inspected in the country of origin. This has reduced substandard imported products by about 30 per cent.”As a policy, the programme requires sensitive items such as food and food products, electrical and electronics (including solar equipment), automotive products and inputs, be checked and cleared for quality before being imported here. Read more ▪ MOTIC: Government approves enterprise policy to improve efficiency Government has finally approved the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) policy after years of operating unrecognised. The MSMEs policy, a copy of which Daily Monitor has seen, indicates that much as technology provides entrepreneurs with tools to improve efficiency and productivity, access to finance, poor standards, and negative attitudes and perceptions, remain major obstacles holding back MSMEs from being part of the global trade.These, among others, are the challenges that the policy seeks to deal with. “Government places great importance to the role played by private sector and all other stakeholders in socio-economic transformation of our country. As ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives we therefore commit ourselves to full implementation of this policy, with the support of all stakeholders,” the ministry committed itself in the policy. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Government to re-table draft law on counterfeits The Anti-Counterfeit Bill will be re-tabled after the government failed to reach a consensus on which institution will take charge of enforcement, the trade minister, Ms Amelia Kyambadde has disclosed.The regulation, also known as Anti-Counterfeiting Bill, has been in Parliament as the business community continues face the consequences of the vice. According to the bill, “Counterfeiting” means without the authority of the owner of a copyright or trademark.Speaking at a breakfast meeting with the British Business community here earlier, trade minister Amelia Kyambadde said the Anti-Counterfeit Bill will be re-tabled in Parliament. She said: “We had issues with the anti-counterfeit Bill. We failed to reach a consensus on enforcement and so we were forced to withdraw it.” Read more ▪  Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Uganda losing sh497 trillion in unprocessed exports The economy is losing in excess of sh497 trillion in exports of unprocessed cotton, coffee, cocoa and tobacco, according to reports by the trade ministry. According to trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, Uganda lost as much as $128.45m (sh373b) in exporting goods that were not processed, packaged or branded to the UK. Kyambadde noted that Uganda’s exports of agriculture commodities to the UK declined to $58m (sh168.2b) from $118.4m (sh343.4b) due to limited value addition. “Value addition has become our priority. Uganda has enormous natural resources and is growing into a regional business hub. This gives us opportunities for mutually beneficial strategic partnership with the UK,” Kyambadde said at a breakfast meeting with the British business community in Kampala. According to statistics, imports from the UK had declined to $12.9m (sh37.4b) from $137.6m (sh399b).Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Uganda to gain access into 25 world markets Ugandan service providers will soon be able to render professional services to more than 25 World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries, information from the Trade ministry indicates so. This development was agreed upon in a high level meeting of the WTO Services Council, held in Geneva, Switzerland.The meeting was convened to discuss measures which would support the growth of service trade in Least Developed countries (LDCs) through granting services exports with preferential treatment. Worth noting is that Uganda is the current coordinator for the LDC group at the WTO with the Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, tasked with the coordinating role.Quoted in a press statement issued by the ministry, a copy of which the Daily Monitor has seen, Ms Kyambadde said this is a chance for Uganda and other LDCs to expand their export base, particularly in services, to the developed WTO member countries. Read more ▪  Amelia Anne Kyambadde: Gov't to woo investors to agro-processing IN efforts to expand market for Uganda's agricultural produce, Government has embarked on wooing more investors in agro-processing to set up investments in value addition and packaging. The minister of trade, industry and cooperatives, Amelia Anne Kyambadde said her ministry is already in negotiations with various investors to establish industries to add value to Uganda's produce to easily compete globally. "We want to create market for our farmers and increase exports. We want to have at least an industry in every sub region and district in future,” she noted. She said this while addressing residents of Bujuuko, in Mpigi district at Umea Primary School. Earlier on before the rally she visited several farmers, Bujuuko market and other group agricultural projects. Kyambadde the Mawokota North MP (area MP), said in all her tours she has made country wide, farmers still face challenges of limited market and price volatility. She also noted the challenge of low value addition, and low production and productivity among others.Read more ▪ Minister Kyambadde urges farmers to join cooperatives The minister of trade, industry and cooperatives Amelia Anne Kyambadde has called on Ugandan farmers to form or join cooperative societies so as to easily address the issue of limited market for their produce.She says many farmers still face the problem of market because they are not attached to any organized group.While addressing a rally in Mpigi district recently, Kyambadde spoke of how individual farmers make losses after being duped by canny middlemen from the city.“When you join a cooperative, it is always a sure deal that your produce like beans, coffee and others always have ready market.”The minister underlined that government has made the development of cooperatives a priority intervention for social-economic transformation to fight poverty.During the gathering staged at Umea Primary School in Bujuuko, Muduma sub-county, she talked of how such groups help resource mobilization, negotiations, and increased production, on top of creating employment to the people. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Warehouse Receipt authority instituted Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has instituted a new board that will oversee and regulate the operations of the Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority.Warehouse Receipt System Authority (UWRSA) is a lead agency for the development of standardised and certified storage facilities of commodities and promotion of structured financing for commodities. Speaking after the swearing in of the new board at the Ministry of trade headquarters, Ms Kyambadde said the absence of board leadership which in essence plays regulatory role had seen middlemen fill the vacuum at the expense of grain and cereal farmers’ fortune.But with a fully-constituted board headed by a successful businessman, Mr Omar Ingels Kassim, Ms Kyambadde predicts that the days for middlemen who make it impossible for the farmers to thrive, are now numbered. Read more ▪ MOTI: Companies urged on local partnerships Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has called on investors in the extractives industry to work with young scientists in Uganda. She was officiating at the Africa Industrialisation Day celebrations at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI). “We have many science graduates, but these flee the country for greener pastures and some go because they have failed to get jobs at home,” said Kyambadde. “We have not done much to retain them as soon as they leave university but when we involve them in the area of extraction, this could be a solution to the unemployment challenge," said the minister. “Part of our minerals for the case of Uganda have not been exploited simply because we are still stuck with the idea that it is colonial companies that can exploit the minerals on our behalf and yet universities are releasing young scientists onto the market,” she added. Read more ▪  Government has created a forum where businessmen from Norway, Sweden and Uganda will start reporting the bottlenecks they face as they try to establish their businesses here.While opening the Nordic business celebrations in Kampala, Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde said the forum will be similar to the one her ministry created for the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.The forum, she said, helped government to uncover challenges investors encounter as they try to establish businesses and have hampered the implementation of the public-private partnership policy.“We need the partnerships and I suggest that we start the quarterly consultative meetings like we have done with the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It helped me to uncover many things I had never known,” she told the delegates. Read more ▪ Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde: NTB reporting system launched The Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives has commissioned the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) Reporting System, a mobile phone and email-based system that will ease reporting to impediments to trade.Through the system, the private sector will report NTBs and the ministry will coordinate with several government agencies to respond to the concerns.While launching the facility in Kampala, Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde noted that NTBs are slowing down the growth of regional business.“Data from the EAC Secretariat shows that intra-EAC trade grew to $5.5 billion, even as the five member states hesitated on the elimination of non-trade barriers (NTBs),” she said.“EAC intra-trade at the moment stands at about 13 per cent of the total trade volume, against the 87 per cent of trade that goes to the rest of the world”Allen Asiimwe, TradeMark East Africa’s country director said inconsistent information and dialogue mechanisms, coupled with slow response times to complaints reported have been thwarting efforts to scale down on the NTBs.Read more ▪ Trade minister, Amelia Kyambadde will commission the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) Reporting System, a mobile phone and email-based system for reporting barriers to trade. To access the system, one will have to dial a USSB code; *201#. Upon dialing this code, eight categories of NTBs; weighbridges, standards inspect, customs, immigrations, Police road blocks, EAC Affairs, Business registration and license, plant and animal inspection appear on the complainant’s phone screen menu.Sam Watasa, the Lead Advisor of the National Response Strategy for the Elimination of NTBs Project says the system delivers complaints simultaneously depending on the complaint.“For example, if the complaint is about standards, it will be sent to the ministry and the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, if it is about customs, it will be registered by the ministry and the Uganda Revenue Authority,” he explains.Stakeholders hope that the system will make it possible to report and respond to NTBs in real time. It is expected to lead to significant improvement in the way NTBs are reported, documented, monitored and resolved. “If you are a transporter, and your truck is stuck on the road because of any of these barriers, and you think it is not fair to you, send the information instantly. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Uganda turns to DRC as alternative market to troubled South Sudan Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has disclosed that the government is preparing to negotiate with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the possibility of the two neighbouring countries furthering their trade ties.According to Ms Kyambadde, the talks are intended to pave way for more penetration of Uganda’s exports into the large DRC market, thereby reducing reliance on the troubled South Sudan.Speaking during the opening of the Trade Facilitation Expo on Friday, Ms Kyambadde said the talks will be held in the next two months so that traders and manufacturers, especially those affected by the South Sudan civil war can take refuge in the large DRC market as the situation in South Sudan stabilises. Read more ▪ UNIDO earmarks $1m for renewable energy Jean Bakole, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) representative to the Africa Union and the Director of Regional office said UNIDO had earmarked funds to support Uganda start renewable energy for production.“We have a $1m (sh2.5b). We are not here to invent a new will but to support the existing activities and to develop new activities to support the existing ones,” said Bakole.He said UNIDO was in talks with Austria, Japan, India and China to raise funds for poverty reduction through productive activities.He was speaking at a donor round table meeting with government and the and the private sector held in Kampala.Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde attended the meeting.Bakole said UNIDO will support Uganda to develop the energy sector. “It is only through energy provision that poverty can be addressed. If we don’t support people, they will continue cutting trees and hurt the environment,” he said. He said a section of the funds estimated to shoot to over $5m will also help in the utilisation of waste as a source of energy.Kyambadde hailed UNIDO for the support and urged them to work with the private sector to see reality. Read more ▪  MOTI:Local manufacturers advised on quality products The Trade, Industry and Cooperatives minister Ms Amelia Kyambadde, has advised local suppliers and manufacturers to produce and maintain high quality goods in order to win both local and international contracts.Speaking at the recent Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) Quality Awards gala, at the Uganda Manufacturers Association grounds in Lugogo, Ms Kyambadde said supplying high quality products will enable suppliers to earn good reputation from procuring entities and consumers.She said it is through production of quality goods with the recognised standard mark that locally manufactured goods can attract the regional and international market. This can as well help suppliers win international contracts that are more lucrative. Read more ▪ Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Substandard, counterfeit imports down by 10 per cent , says govt Imported substandard and counterfeit products are slowly declining as the government continues to enforce the policy that bans importation of goods that are shipped into the country without being inspected for quality.According to Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, the policy called the Pre-Verification for Conformity programme (PVoC), is slowly but steadily tackling the problems of substandard and counterfeit goods that had appeared to be a permanent fixture in the local market.She said: “Despite challenges faced at the onset of the Pre-Verification for Conformity programme (PVoC) at the beginning of this concluding financial year, the programme is performing well. Our main challenge now is attitude change amongst the traders. Once they completely embrace the programme, we shall have fewer sub-standard goods being offered for trade at the source.” Read more ▪  Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde: Local industries under fire for not using homegrown supplies Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has criticised local industries that shun homegrown raw material in favour of imported ones.She said the tendency does not only discourage local suppliers from large scale production but also hurts the economy.Singling out Britania Industries, Ms Kyambadde said the industry is doing the country and the producers a disservice, given that local suppliers put in a lot of time and resources only to have their produces ignored in favour of imported raw materials.According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Trade last week, Ms Kyambadde while touring Britania Industries, expressed discontent over the industry’s rejection of the local fruits in the production of its juice. Ms Kyambadde, together with the managing director of Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Dr Ben Manyindo, were taken around the factory recently, where they discovered that the collection centre for fresh fruits had been dormant for quite some time, yet this is a season for fruits in the country. Read more ▪  Kyambadde Tips Businessmen on Strategic Branding The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde has asked Local producers to brand them with local names. She said this while launching the first Trade and Agricultural show in Bushenyi this week."Branding using local names attracts both local and foreign markets," said Kyambadde.She appealed to producers of a single commodity to start Joint Associations to boost their marketing and sales potential. Kyambadde said most local producers still face a problem of limited packaging material due to the tax levied on companies that produce such materials.“Our Ministry is trying hard to remove that Tax. We cannot keep on favouring foreign investors at the expense of the local ones," she noted. Read more ▪ MOTI: Uganda’s Cotton exports to increase, thanks to WTO Cotton exports from Uganda are set to increase once the recommendations by trade ministers in the Bali 9th ministerial conference are implemented.One of the recommendations was to help revive the cotton sector through funding to increase production to benefit from the market from List Developed Countries (LDC) who are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO).This was revealed by the minister of trade, industry and cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde in a brainstorming meeting about the conference at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel.Kyambadde said that there have been restrictions in the cotton sector when it comes to exporting as result of decline in quality and production.“In this meeting ministers agreed that since sector in Uganda would be supported if possible with a fund to improve the production capacity and quality controls to gain a guaranteed market among LDC members and beyond,’ said Kyambadde.She said that Uganda was the lead exporter of quality cotton some years back, but this has since dropped. Read more ▪ The Minister of Trade, Industry Kyambadde: Nonconforming Imported Cars Will Be Destroyed The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon Amelia Kyambadde, has ordered destruction of used vehicles whose importers don't follow the agreed guidelines under the Pre-Importation Verification of Conformity (PIVoC) arrangement. A number of guidelines were agreed upon in a meeting of the Minister, UNBS officials with car importers, following their strike last month in opposition of PIVoC costs. Under their umbrella association, Used Motorcar Importers Association, they closed down their warehouses protesting what they termed as 'exorbitant costs' being incurred under the arrangement. They also complained of a few number of PIVoC Service Providers making the service less competitive; and also demanded that inspection of used cars be carried out in Uganda. Read more ▪ Uganda moves to open electronic single window for trade Government is taking the steps necessary to launching a one stop electronic trade clearance system, a computerised scheme that saves time, shoe leather and money. Through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), a High Level Task Force (HLTF) has been constituted composed of Ministers, Leaders of key institutions and private sector players involved in the facilitation of trade, to agree on national governance and institutional arrangements for adoption and implementation of the electronic single window system (E-SW) in Uganda and consider the proposed roadmap for its implementation. The private sector said it fully supports the implementation of the E-SW and recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Uganda through MTIC. Read more ▪ EU sets EPA deadline signing for October Uganda seems not yet prepared to conclude the on- going EAC- EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) trade, analysts have observed.Despite negotiations spanning over 12 years with remaining contentious issues unresolved, the European Union has put 1 October 2014 for concluding the negotiations. This means countries that have not signed or ratified EPAs by October 1 2014 will be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the duty Free Quota free market access.Jane Nalunga the SEATINI- Uganda country director noted that much as the five partner EAC states- Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania- decided in 2007 to strengthen their regional integration agenda and negotiate EPA as a bloc under the initial Framework Economic Partnership Agreement (FEPA) nothing much seems to be effective as a bloc.“The stated objective of EPA was to ensure sustainable development of ACP countries and to ensure smooth and gradual integration into the global economy and eradicate poverty but so far the negotiations have not addressed these objectives,” said Nalunga at the EAC-EU EPA review workshop in Kampala. Read more ▪ District leaders accused of mishandling govt projects Speaking at a women entrepreneurs meeting last week, Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde said she is dismayed at the way projects under the ‘One Village One Product’ programme have been mismanaged yet they were meant to help women groups and youths out of poverty.“Recently, I was in Serere District to inspect a project we had given equipment to improve maize milling but I found that the district commercial officers were the beneficiaries and women could not move anywhere near the machines,” Ms Kyambadde said.She said because of lack of access to sufficient information, urban women entrepreneurs have created a gap between themselves and rural women, who are defrauded by loan sharks and financial institutions because they cannot analyse their financial situations before asking for money. The meeting, organised by Trademark East Africa (TMEA) was meant to bring together women entrepreneurs to devise ways of growing prosperity through trade and establish a regional women-in-business platform so that women can participate in regional integration. Read more ▪ WFP tells Uganda to improve grain quality The World Food Programme (WFP) has called on the ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives, to regulate cross border trade of grains if quality for both the regional and international market is to be achieved.They also want the ministry to increase the sensitization on acceptable grain standards for traders to benefit from the grain market.Following the WFP call, the minister of trade Amelia Kyambadde has now set up a three-man committee to work with Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to sensitise grain traders.The committee headed by Dr. Joshua Mutambi, from the department of Industry and Technology also comprises, Chris Kaijuka, the Chairman of grain traders and Hakim Mufumbiro, head of the food standards department at UNBS. Read more ▪ Counting the Cost: Uganda's Trade, Industry Limping As S.Sudan War Rages On- Hon. Amelia Kyambadde The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives has revealed that the conflict in South Sudan has negatively affected trade and industry in Uganda. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, said before the conflict, the value of formal exports to South Sudan in 2013 was Shs 895.7bn equivalent to $358.2m at the current exchange rate. Kyambadde said this translates to “exports of Shs 74.6bn or $29.8m per month and Shs 2.4bn or $981.600 per day”. "Informal Uganda exports to S. Sudan grew from $83.7m equivalent to Shs 209.25bn in 2011 to $115m equivalent to Shs 287.5bn in 2012 which has for now, due to the conflicts, reduced," she added. Kyambadde said manufacturers have so far lost market of 20 percent to 30 percent adding that on average, it is estimated that Uganda earned $9.58m (Shs 23.9bn) per month or $315,068 (Shs 788m) per day from informal cross border trade with S. Sudan in 2012. Read more ▪ Uganda SMEs Given Insights Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde has advised Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SME) to form cooperatives to access financing and machinery.Speaking during the closure of the "KCB made in Uganda" project, the minister said that it is easier to support SME's as a group rather than an individual."It is easier to address your needs if you are in a cooperative," Kyambadde said "This makes it easier in helping to negotiate taxes and financing.Over 300 disadvantaged rural and urban cottage industry entrepreneurs across the country have benefited from cottage industry trainings held by the bank in partnership with Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA).In a bid to promote uptake of locally manufactured products, KCB Uganda and USSIA have been training small scale entrepreneurs enhancing them with entrepreneurial skills on how to run their businesses better. Read more ▪  Women entrepreneurs meet In kampala on procurement marketsWomen entrepreneurs and representatives of trade support institutions (TSIs), government and multinationals from the Africa region are congregating in Kampala, Uganda, to learn about opportunities for women to access procurement markets.Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde opened the workshop. The event is organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with the Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), under the umbrella of the Global Platform for Action on Sourcing from Women Vendors. Read more ▪  UIA: Ugandan SMEs To Gain From Nairobi Jua Kali Expo 120 Small and Medium Enterprises [SMEs] have been flagged off to join 1,070 others for the ongoing Jua Kali Trade Exibtion in Nairobi Kenya.The Ugandan team was seen off by officials from the Uganda Investment Authority and ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives at the UMA show grounds Lugogo.This expo is geared towards among others; increasing cross border trade, encouraging Ugandan enterprises to seek for business opportunities that exist across the borders, value addition and product quality improvement. Read more ▪ Kyambadde: Fake Goods Still Flooding Uganda Market Government has warned that the economy is still awash with uncertified companies producing substandard products, which casts a dark shadow on the country’s prospected market share in the looming regional and tripartite integration. The alarm was sounded on Friday evening by Trade Minister Hon Amelia Kyambadde in her message delivered by Commissioner Trade and Industry Eng Sam Ssenkungu, who highlighted a dire need for self regulatory and a restrictive force from private sector and government respectively, in a bid to better the quality of locally produced goods. Read more ▪  Uganda: Policy to Support Local Products in OffingA new policy aimed at protecting local products against unfavourable competition from imported goods is in the offing, according to the Trade, Industry and Cooperatives minister, Amelia Kyambadde. The draft policy, Buy Ugandan Build Uganda, is currently being discussed by cabinet, and, once approved, will provide guidance to government ministries, departments and agencies on how to promote the production and consumption of locally-produced goods and services. Kyambadde was speaking at a dinner hosted by Uganda Manufacturers Association.Read more ▪  New system to ease doing business The new electronic Single Window System, launched recently, will facilitate international trade by speeding up and simplifying information flows among traders, government institutions and other regulatory bodies. "The need to introduce simplified systems that facilitate trade is important as it creates a conducive investment climate, thus attracting more investments and economic growth. Read more ▪   Export - handicraft trader reaps from recycling At the expo, organised by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) under the theme, How to export to Europe, Bendicta Nanyonga, the founder and head of the Kinawataka Women Initiative (KWI), tells they penetrated into the international market, and made a name for themselves with crafts such as handbags, sports bags, belts, purses, table mats, doormats and earrings, from used straws. On their first attempt to export their products to UK, they were asked for 10,000 packages of bags, doormats, belts and others. “People outside Uganda value recycling. And if you have crafts, your market is readily available,” Nanyonga said. Amelia Kyambadde, the minister of Trade, Industry and cooperatives, agrees there are a number of challenges that need to be sorted out, ▪ Ugandans reminded on quality Ugandan business people have been advised to keep quality at the forefront of their strategies to make it easier for them access regional and worldwide markets. Trade and industry minister, Amelia Kyambadde launched the Market- Linked Alumni. “It is important that as we manufacture and trade, we do not forget to keep quality at the forefront of our strategies. We would want to be known in the region and the world over as a source of quality products,” Kyambadde said. Read more ▪ Join cooperatives, minister advises small-scale traders Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has advised Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to form cooperatives to access markets and micro-financing in order to exploit the business opportunities in the region. While officiating at the launch of the ‘KCB Made in Uganda’ enterprise development training programme, Ms Kyambadde said her ministry was ready to register the cooperatives and offer linkages to financial assistance. “Access to credit is easier if the small and medium enterprises are organised in form of cooperatives,” she said. |