The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna, has called for increased investment, value addition, innovation and manufacturing to accelerate Uganda’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the Equity Bank Uganda Trade Mission at the Marriott Hotel in Kampala, Tanna urged stakeholders to move away from exporting raw materials and instead invest in competitive industries that can produce value-added products for local and international markets.
He identified agriculture, minerals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather, construction materials and ICT as key sectors with significant investment potential as Uganda seeks to build a US$500 billion economy.
The Minister also called on financial institutions to provide appropriate financing to productive sectors and encouraged stronger partnerships between Government, financial institutions and the private sector.
“Potential becomes prosperity only through investment, innovation, partnership and execution,” Tanna said.
During the panel discussion, Assistant Commissioner for External Trade Georgina Nampeera Mugerwa highlighted opportunities across Uganda’s coffee value chain, including agricultural inputs, irrigation, processing, quality assurance, technology, traceability and branding.
The discussions also highlighted investment opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, minerals, science, technology and innovation (STI), in line with Uganda’s export-oriented industrialisation strategy and the Tenfold Agenda.
The Minister said increased investment and value addition will be critical to creating jobs, expanding exports and positioning Uganda’s productive sectors for greater competitiveness in regional and international markets.
