‘Industrial Park will attract investors’
What you need to know:
Ambassador of Uganda to China, Dr Crispus Kiyonga while touring the Tian Tang factory in Mbalala at the weekend, reassured the Chinese investor that there will be people to occupy the park, Christine Kasemiire writes.
Construction of Uganda’s industrial parks will not be viable without investors to occupy them.
Twelve months after President Museveni launched the Mbale industrial park, foundation of brown soil is what is engulfed in the 619-acre plot of land.
Partitions of land in the park’s aerial view indicate initial stages of construction taking place.
Eight investors from different countries are putting up structures out of the 11 that signed intent letters to make their way into the pearl of Africa.
The figures, government believes should not be cause of alarm.
Ambassador of Uganda to China, Dr Crispus Kiyonga while touring the Tian Tang factory in Mbalala at the weekend, reassured the Chinese investor that there will be people to occupy the park.
“Investors in industrial parks should not worry that they will fail to fill industrial parks. People will come so long as we work together,” he said emphasising government’s interests in exploiting resources in different areas.
The ambassador’s strategy to attract investors, involves cultivating deeper Uganda-China relations beyond Beijing to the many provinces China has.
“We are involved in reaching out to China not only in Beijing but also the provinces so they come and invest in Uganda,” he said.
China has, for many years, led as Uganda’s main source of foreign direct investment. China, in efforts of boosting investment is encouraging entrepreneurs from its 23 provinces to invest in Africa.
The $600m (Shs2trillion) Sino-Uganda industrial park is being developed by Chinese investor, Tian Tang, which also has a factory dealing in furniture, mattresses and steel metals.
Mr Paul Zhang, leader of Tian Tang Group, appreciated government’s support to investors which has boosted operations to export manufactured products to East African countries.
Ms Zhao Xiufen, economic and commercial counselor at Chinese Embassy, noted that Uganda is China’s third investment destination after Kenya and Zambia.
She asked wants infrastructure in the industrial parks to be developed for efficient trade and manufacturing.
