The Minister in-charge of Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has revealed that the government of Uganda believes that as a country, they can grow and develop the economy basing on what citizens indigenously produce.
According to the Minister, the current good and conducive environment God gave to Uganda, is a great factor in ensuring that they achieve such goal.
Hon. Babalanda made the assertion on Saturday while officiating at the 6th Uganda-UAE Business Expo held at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai.
Organised by the Ugandan Association in UAE and the Embassy of Uganda in UAE, business expo has been running annually for the past six years.
“It gives me pleasure to be here, and to see Ugandan companies exhibiting our products at this event. Uganda today has prioritized export promotion especially of the Value-Added products like the ones being showcased at this Expo. We; as government, believe that as a country we can grow and develop our economy basing on what we indigenously produce,” the Minister noted told business people in Dubai.
“The government through the National Development Plan (NDP) III, has prioritized increased agricultural production, coupled with value addition of our produce to expand our development. This is further emphasized through the formation of the SACCO groups being supported through the Parish Development Model (PDM). We are hopeful that through such programmes the farmers and companies adding value to our produce will be able to increase productivity and find markets for our produce,” added Hon. Babalanda who represented the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio Rt. Hon. Hajat Lukia Isanga Nakadama at the expo.
She further assured the Ugandan Diaspora that government through its various policies and programmes as the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), the Agricultural Loan Programme at the Bank of Uganda (BOU) and the Development Bank Schemes is willing to assist them push up their ventures.
“As Ugandan Diaspora, this is an opportunity for you, to participate in this avenue. Your stay here in the Diaspora has exposed you to the markets and companies with which you can partner to make this Ugandan dream come true. To all Ugandans living in the UAE, we appeal to you to utilize these schemes, and embrace these programmes where you can get engaged in the import ventures to showcase our products. In the same vein, you can invest in Treasury Bills and Bonds with BOU, and by the time you are done with your contracts, your money will have made more money for you,” Hon. Babalanda advised.
The Minister also stated that government through Parliament is coming up with measures and policies to protect immigrant workers and ensure their safety while working abroad.
“As a country desirous to do business, we are ensuring establishment of infrastructures such as roads, electricity, serviced industrial parks; among others. These will be further described in the presentations ahead. In addition to what is going to be shared, I have the pleasure to inform this forum that Uganda’s Tax Policies are among the most favorable. An investor can be given a Corporate Tax Holiday Certificate of 10 Years in Uganda if your minimum investment amount is $ 10 Million. The value is even lower for local firms,” she said.
“Overall, I wish to assure you that government is committed to working with you to ensure that we promote exports from Uganda in areas where we have advantage rather than to emphasize imports. To put more light on this point, Government has put in place the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports & Industrial Development which is searching for global markets and promoting value addition of our local products. I would encourage all of us to pick interest in the activities of this committee.”
She also told the expo attendees that Ugandans in UAE will now be to access new passports and National IDs at the Embassy following the acquisition of machines that will do the printing of the documents.
“I also need to inform you that immediately I took over office and with clearance from the Appointing Authority I instructed The Uganda Security Printing Company – USPC to print National IDs and Passport at Embassies. I am happy that these services are already being provided by the USPC at some Embassies. This is in response to the concern raised regarding confiscation of passports of our people who come here to work. The challenge of persons returning to Uganda without travel documents had reached crisis proportion,” the Minister assured.
On the issue of Ugandans stuck in the UAE, Hon. Babalanda said the Government of Uganda is working with the Government of the UAE to ensure those having problems are returned to Uganda.
In the UAE alone there is a total of 95,000 legally settled Ugandans and a total of 5,000 who are illegal.
“The mandatory emergency travel fees of US Dollars 50 that was charged on each illegal migrant has also been removed. Here, I need to thank the UAE government for this gesture and for working with the Government of Uganda through the Ugandan Embassy to return the migrants. The Ugandans working in the UAE annually send up to US Dollars 2 million in remittances up from 500,000 US Dollars in the previous years. This is a big contribution to our economy and we commend the hospitality of the peoples and government of the UAE.”
Hon. Babalanda also announced that the Ugandan Diaspora in UAE that the money amounting to 100,000 US Dollars pledged by H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda to their SACCO is now available.
“Finally, I need to inform you that government is emphasizing the issue of value addition which will require us to obtain markets for our products in foreign markets. As I informed you, before I came here, I had just been closing a seminar organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports & Industrial Development which is tasked to search for global markets and promote value addition of our local products. We need to collaborate with this program to boost value addition and find markets for our products in other lands,” she added.
The convention was also attended by among others, Hon Kateshumbwa Dickson- MP Sheema Municipality representing the RT. Hon Speaker, Amb Mayega Henry, Consular General, Mr. Abdulbasit Nsubuga, President Association of Ugandans in UAE, Mr. Usher Owere, Chairman General National Organisation of Trade Unions, Dr. Elly Twineyo, Director General Uganda Export Promotion Board and Mr Yusuf Kimera, Secretary General- Uganda Export promotion Board.
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