East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA - Strong economic growth, open markets, and abundant natural resources provide good opportunities for knowledgeable investors in Uganda, though significant challenges exist; among them counterfeits and fake goods.
In light of the current influx of counterfeit and fake goods, stakeholders have urged the government to speed up the actualization of the anti counterfeit bill that has been in the House for the better part of the eighth Parliament.
Speaking to the East African Business Week in an exclusive interview, Mr. Issa Sekitto, the spokesperson of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) said that the anti counterfeit bill is not only long overdue but also doesn't address important aspects.
"When we went to Parliament in April 2010, we expeditiously urged the Government to actualize the bill (anti counterfeit bill) but we were disappointed to find out that the anti counterfeit bill left out important aspects like the fake (substandard) goods. The bill only protects the manufacturers and not the consumers.
"We therefore feel that this bill should be reviewed and renamed the anti counterfeit/fake goods' bill so that it also addresses the consumers as well", Sekitto said.
His words were re-echoed by his boss, Mr. Everest Kayongo, the chairperson KACITA who said that it is the consumers who are more affected by the substandard goods than the counterfeits "which may actually be of good quality only that the registered producer's rights are the ones being infringed upon."
Kayongo also pointed out the issues that the bill had raised like punishments and how to restrain those who deal in counterfeits. An example is that the bill proposed that the arresting officer had powers to release the suspect without reference to higher authority.
"We felt this would be subject to abuse and we wanted the arresting officers not to carry out the prosecution, fining or release of the suspects.
"We proposed to government to come up with yet another bill to address the substandard goods which are hither to rampant on the market", said Kayongo.
Issa Sekitto also said that the KACITA Quality Awards that are in their third year are meant to encourage manufacturers to persistently appreciate quality so that consumers will eventually side line the substandard products.