East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA - The government plans to construct a total of 10 silos as an immediate measure towards averting famine, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives has said.
Ms. Amelia Kyambadde was meeting members of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) in Kampala last week.
The minister said the government would set up 60 satellite warehouses to feed into the silos.  The ministry has just refurbished six warehouses with a capacity of 65,000 metric tonnes which she said would improve post harvest handling especially with the grains.  
"The silos will enable us store and add value to the grains so that we do not export grain in its raw state. This will enable us retain the by-products like maize brand that can also be used for other purposes,” she said.
"We built eight warehouses last year and we plan to construct five this financial year. We hope to construct the first silo in Jinja so that farmers have a central place where they can store their produce," Kyambadde said.
She promised the manufacturers that the government would fast track the actualization of the anti-counterfeit bill to protect the domestic manufacturers.
"I have already spoken to the Speaker of Parliament and she has promised that as soon as the budget debates are done, it (Anti-counterfeit bill) will be tabled on the floor for debate", she said.
Manufacturers presented their concerns to the minister among which included poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity supply, agricultural modernization, among others.
They also asked the minister to look into the issues as they had raised the same concerns to the ministry for the past six years.
 "We pay our taxes and the budget even allocates funds for these issues but in the end nothing seems to be done. We are wondering, where does the allocated money go? Could it be a case of poor planning on government's side and even then who does the follow up?", Mr. Kaddu Kiberu, their chairman  wondered.  At the same meeting, Ms. Kyambadde also promised the manufacturers that the Investment Bill which seems to favour only the foreign investors will be reviewed to consider the local investors.