By Stephen Kalema
President has warned government procurement officials in the habit of ignoring locally made products and instead buy imported products yet there is a promotional wave of ‘Buy Uganda Build Uganda’.
“Some government officials have persisted in procuring imported products even when there are good quality ones produced locally. I am going to sack any procurement officer who is not embracing the spirit of Uganda in industrial development,” President warned.
He was meeting representatives of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) at State House Entebbe on Wednesday.
At the same meeting, the President said his government is fully committed to reduce costs of production by providing transport, electricity, bank loans and water.
The move was welcomed by the delegation headBarbara Mulwana. She, however, complained about power tariffs which are too high for production.
But President Museveni assured the manufacturers that electricity rates would soon go down as Ayago Hydroelectric Power Station in Nwoya nears completion.
Uganda today generates about 2,000 megawatts of electricity. However, in the next five years, power generation is set to increase to 5,000 megawatts, 1,000 of these generated from geothermal energy.
“Soon all industries, regardless of their size in operations, would enjoy a low rate of USD5cents per unit of electricity,” the President said.
This meeting was also attended by Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister Amelia Kyambadde, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Matia Kasaija and that of State for Privatization and Investment Evelyne Anite.
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