Investors welcome Museveni’s proposal to ban imports

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According to some investors, the ban will help local firms to increase their production capacity which will increase job opportunities.

Kampala. Investors have welcomed President Museveni’s proposal to ban the importation of goods that are manufactured in Uganda.
The investors also welcomed the President’s promise to reduce electricity tariffs as well as improve the infrastructure in the park.
Mr Nalluri S. Rao, the chairman Interior Technologies told Daily Monitor the ban will boost local production, adding that the company will revise its production capacity to meet new demand, if the ban is implemented.
“I am inspired by the President’s consistent call to create jobs by banning imports of goods we manufacture. We hope this will grow our sales in order to create more jobs for Ugandans,” he said.
Interior Technologies, which manufactures interior steel and furniture products, according Mr Rao estimates grow its turnover to about $3m (Shs10.8b) this year, before increasing further to about $4m (Shs14.4b) next year.

Last week on Thursday during the commissioning of six factories in Namanve among them Interior Technologies, Orion Transformers and Electronics, Luuka Industries, Steel and Tube Industries, Alfasan and a Toyota Uganda show room, President Museveni warned government accounting officers stop importing goods that can be manufactured by local firms.
“We cannot look on as government departments fail to buy what is produced here. There is nothing to discuss, no repeating anything. Anybody who does not do it (buying local products) will lose his job,” he said.
Mr Joseph Iga, the Steel and Tube chairman, said the ban was in line with government’s Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy that seeks to promote local capacity.

“This is what we have been longing for. It will protect local industries and increase our production, which will in turn create more jobs,” he said.
Mr Rao also highlighted the poor infrastructure in the park, which he said is a big problem that must be sorted.
“We only hope that it will be fixed. I am happy that the President has promised to do something,” he said.