Lord Popat, Prime Minister’s Trade, Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda

• Uganda should take advantage of the best British construction, design & engineering firms in the world!
  Lord Popat to persuade companies that Uganda was a fantastic market, and to help them put together the best possible proposals for contracts and establish trading arms in Uganda.
• In order to improve on the ease of doing business in Uganda, Uganda needs to improve on clarity, transparency and accountability for how Government decisions are – or aren’t – taken.
• For both Uganda and UK to prosper, UK-Uganda bilateral trade must significantly increase.
  British companies should take advantage of the £600 million export country cover for Uganda.
  UK Investors were frustrated due to the bureaucracy and corruption as they were seeking to start up business in Uganda.
• Lord Popat to lobby UK government to reduce the VISA waiting period to 48-hour turn-around for business visas as Rwanda.

 

Dr. Ian Clarke, Chairman, International Medical Group

• Ugandan local companies should partner with private equity partners to help them increase their growth and capital.
• Tap into opportunities in the education sector. Uganda has one of the fastest population growth rates in the world with a rich resource of young people.

 

Victoria Sekitoleko, Chairperson of the Agribusiness Alliance

• Highlighted opportunities in value chains: like coffee which requires several stages until it reaches the shelves.
• There are numerous opportunities in creating Avocado value chain which the French have hailed as the best in the world. Opportunities to create bulk processing systems for farmers to export. Avocado powder is in high demand.

 

Dr. Simon Kagugube, Executive Director of Centenary Bank

• Encourages value chain processes which can be financed through the bank’s Rural Development Programme.
• Confirmed that there was financing for the entire agriculture value chain.

 

Christabel Blanch, Alvan Blanch Development Company Ltd

• Encourage youth to see agriculture as a big business opportunity.
  Equipment leasing schemes are essential in Uganda because they allow growth within the small sectors.
• Grain trading centre were needed to ensure that there was a constant market for these groups.

 

Shahid Sheik, Managing Director, Clifton Packaging

• Value addition processes is critical for the growth of the Agribusiness in Uganda. For example, Uganda pineapple exports £1000 per ton of pineapple Vs £20,000 on reaching shelves.

 

MP Hon Robert Migadde, Buvuma Island

• Opportunities in cheap alternatives like irrigation.
• Opportunities in Fish farming

 

Hon Keefa Kiwanuka (MP)

• Ugandans in the Diaspora needs to exercise their right to vote.
• Allow Diaspora representatives to be involved in the legislative agenda of the country.
• The government has increased the focus on exporting Vs importing.

 

Prof Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Chairperson Zuri Model Farming

• Uganda should make agriculture attractable for all because that is where the future is.
• Encouraged Diasporas to do homework to come and look at Uganda for the vast its investment opportunities before it was too late.

 

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda

• Emphasised the need to import substitution, Uganda should not be a permanent import market of goods which it can be able to manufacture from home.
• Take advantage of some of the low value food products like sweet potatoes which is used in USA to make potato chips, puree and this can bring a lot of revenue to the country.
  The parliament is working on the local content law to oblige foreign companies who imports consumable products like tomatoes, chicken for instance, to start buying local products.
• Companies must be compelled to employ Ugandans and expatriates should be stopped to stay for over 20 years.
• Dual Citizenship: People are free to get dual nationality.
• By April next year, there will be operational centers in the Nordic, the UK and Washington.
• Parliament to handle issues like corruption, strengthening accountability systems, inefficiencies within Uganda Revenue Authority, limited value addition and, the negative publicity about the country.
• The British government urged to ease the process of securing visas to the UK citing the high costs and long processing times.

 

Dr. Nandawula Kanyerezi, MD. a Diplomat in Internal Medicine

• Uganda governmental needs to accommodate new business development and investment with tax breaks.
• The government and the central bank ought to consider vital sectors of the economy like health for lower
• Youth in Uganda were not being trained up to the standard necessary for professional excellence in many aspects.
• Expose the children in the diaspora to their native country, possibilities and opportunities available to them early enough in order to foster the development of a personal connection and commitment to home.
• I’m a frequent customer of https://www.paolivet.com/ativan-online/. This website is truly one of the best online pharmacies. A wide assortment of medicines in stock allows buying practically everything I need without jumping from website to website. I really appreciate such convenience and care about the customers. Wow! So many good words! But it definitely deserves them.

 

Eric Olanya, Head of Trade, Uganda, Department for International Trade, British High Commission

• British companies including Ugandans in the UK Diaspora with registered businesses should take advantage of services and support by the department for international trade at the British High Commission in Kampala.

  Key sectors of focus for UK:

• Oil and gas infrastructure; supply chain opportunities
  Agritech
• Renewables promoted under a structure called “The High value campaigners resources”
  Skills development; education& training

Tips:

• Building credible and honest contacts and relationships is crucial in Uganda.
  Processes: Investors needs to know what documentations are needed, the hierarchy of the requirement, priority of the process.
• Management: How your companies intergrade international best with the local indigenous practices.

Services at the Uganda, Department for International Trade, British High Commission:

• Overseas market introduction service
• Market research
• Programme arrangements
• Contacts for companies Etc.
• Lobbying.
• Help to navigate through UK export finance and identify areas that needs direct lending opportunities, insurance guarantees or any other support.
• Arrange inbound trade mission to Uganda

 

Hon Isaac Musumba, Minister of state for Urban Development

• Invited partnerships with the government initiatives such as the process of zoning and gazetting inhabited areas 1000+ acres in the proximity of Kampala city.
  Government to exercise the legal mandate to undertake physical planning and determine land use. Government would enter into an M.O.U with land owners, and agree on the value that would be offset from the final price whenever the land is be disposed-off.

 

Honourable Nakatte Lillian Segujja

• Opportunities exist in the housing sector. According to NHCC, by 2020, the housing requirement in Kampala will be at 750,791 units, other towns 1,092,318 units, rural areas 8,482,889 units and nationally 10,325,990 units.

 

Samuel Kirubi, Managing Director (Equity Bank (U) Ltd

• The bank can serve any project in excess of £100 Million from Uganda.
• The law passed in Uganda to enable banks to be able to do agency banking allowing financial inclusion in the whole of the country. Over 20 Million people with smart phones is a huge value chain to be able to collect cash flows and receivables online in an automated system.
• Equity Bank has made it so easy for anyone to open up an account in the retail section with minimal requirements.

 

Hon. Nzoghu William Musabe, Shadow Minister for Works and Transport

• Skills transfer from the Diaspora community is needed.
• Opportunities in Salt processing factory are needed in Lake Katwe to tap into the regional market of the Great Lakes.
• There is a lot of untapped developments on water bodies.
• Government needs to commit funding towards the development of tourism roads in Rwenzori, Elgon and Karamoja areas.

 

Michael Mugabi, Executive Director, Housing Finance Bank

• Real estate is a sustainable worthy business because there is the housing deficit.
• Opportunities in affordable housing solutions. There is a huge multiply effect down the value chain.
• The bank is ready to design products ready to suit individual needs with financial aspiration.
• The bank has a 100% mortgage financing to Diasporas because they have very good income streams.

 

Fred Opolot, Member, Member, Investment Authority Board

• An investment in affordable and cheap loans. The cost of borrowing in Uganda is still a challenge where the cost of borrowing is 22%!
• Service: UIA as an institution has varied activities like; providing investment information, licensing investment, assists in securing secondary approval, assist joint ventures and hand-holds investors through bureaucratical bottlenecks as well as assisting in the acquisition of land for industrial and commercial agricultural investments
• UIA is housing all those organisations under One Stop Centre.
  Industrial parks opportunities: Uganda has 22 industrial parks and 4 regional sciences and technology innovation and engineering parks of which only 3 are fully functional: The Kampala
• Industrial park in Namanve, Bweyogerere and Luzira parks. UIA aims to create 4777 acres of service industrial land all over the country in Soroti, Mbale, Masaka and Mbarara.

 

Hon. Esther Mbulakubuza Mbayo, Minister of the Presidency

• The government of Uganda is determined to reducing power tariffs from 11 cents to 5 cents through the ongoing construction of the three dams namely; Bujagali, Karuma and Insimba dams.
• Achievements: The government has procured road equipment from Japan for all districts to improve access in all the parts of the country
• Challenges: Corruption, the government of Uganda is committed to fighting corruption.

 

Hon Anna Nankabirwa, Member of parliament Kyankwanzi district

• Called upon the Uganda electoral commission to extend their services to foreign missions for eligible Ugandans to exercise their rights to vote.

 

Joy Kyakwita, An immigration specialist:

• The dual registration fee of $400 was unreasonable.

 

Hon. Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda

• Ugandans should also be encouraged to invest in the UK. The convention should list viable opportunities.
• The government should identify reasons that forced Ugandans to leave Uganda to the Diaspora so that they are addressed.

 

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda

• Dual Citizenship: People were free to get dual nationality. By April next year, there would be operational centres to enable individuals to register, in the Nordic, the UK and Washington.
• Parliament to handle issues like corruption, strengthening accountability systems, inefficiencies within Uganda Revenue Authority, limited value addition and, the negative publicity about the country.
• The British government urged to ease the process of securing visas to the UK citing the high costs and long processing times. The cost has risen to over £200 pounds whether you get the visa or not. Equity is needed, if application is rejected then UK should refund the money.

Lord Dolar Popat, UK Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda

• Investors from the United Kingdom were frustrated due to the bureaucracy and corruption as they were seeking to start up business in Uganda.
• Lord Popat to lobby UK government to reduce the VISA waiting period to 48-hour turn-around for business visas like had been done for Rwanda.