KAMPALA: The chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Entrepreneurs League Dr Robert Rukaari Mwesigwa has invited investors to Uganda, and urged them to take advantage of opportunities in the agro-processing, hospitality, construction and value addition in the Ugandan economy.
Mr. Rukaari, also Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North was on Monday, October 18 evening meeting a delegation from the Bank of Africa led by Group Chief Executive Officer Amine Bouabid at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Bank of Africa Uganda Executive Director Bernard Magulu and the Regional C.E.O in charge of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana, Mr Ghali Lahlou attended the meeting.
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Dr Rukaari, who is known to have a strong lobby for helping especially Ugandan farmers, shared with the team the different opportunities available for investors in Uganda, noting that the country enjoys a unique position in the region, with its location at the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa making her well positioned to take a strategic commanding base and act as a regional hub for trade and investment.
“Uganda is an attractive investment destination that provides an environment where investors are able to make a return on their investment while the country and its people benefit. You are welcome to explore the opportunities in the value addition chain, agro processing, transport sand hospitality,” MP Rukaari told the delegation
The team appreciated the NRM ideologue on business and investment, noting that the country provided good opportunities.
Recently, Mr. Rukaari was on record to have rallied parliament to save some of the government utilities that help the value chain in the economy, including the lobby to save the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
He also opposed the government plan to phase out UCDA and have its mandate and activities taken back to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, saying the programs for the coffee farmers will suffer.
According to the plans for the rationalization of government agencies and ministries, UDCA is one of the 77 government agencies that are supposed to be phased out as part of interventions to reduce the cost of public administration and minimize duplication of roles.
In February 2021, Cabinet approved recommendations for the rationalization of government agencies, commissions and authorities. The overall objective, the government says, is to eliminate structural ambiguities, functional duplication, overlaps, wasteful expenditure and realize short term and long term savings.
However, some Members of Parliament have defended some agencies and authorities, and warned that returning them to parent ministries would cripple progress.
Speaking during a Parliamentary plenary session, Mr. Rukaari said that rationalization and merging is very good but from an entrepreneur point of view, he wondered why one would make UCDA, a department under MAAIF.
Citing an example of Kenya in 2014, Mr. Rukaari said the neighboring country later regretted the blunder before repealing the Coffee Board Act to return an authority after disastrous effects on coffee production.
