NITA-U, Huawei, join Monitor’s annual top company survey

Chinese ICT giant Huawei Technologies Uganda Ltd, and the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), have joined audit firm KPMG and the Daily Monitor to sponsor the annual Top 100 Mid-sized company survey.

Speaking at the second sector forum in Kampala yesterday, Ms Sooma Mukyala Fouziya, the Huawei spokesperson, said the technology company is joining the sponsorship of the annual event because it is a forum for businesses to learn from each other, do business together, create synergies and an eco-system of business success  stories.
“When we are all successful businesses, it becomes better for everyone. In you, we have found ingredients which make companies grow,” she said.

She added that ICT services and products, today, ICT and innovations are the centre of growth of companies, which calls for companies to invest in ICT security and cloud storage services.
Mr Augustine Ssenkyondwa, the business process analyst at NITA-U, said NITA-U was set up to regulate information technology because everything has gone online and they are there to guide small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) when they are using online tools to ensure any data they deal within their transactions is as secure as possible.

“We know a simple glitch can cause a business to close in terms of cyber security incidents. NITA is there to build capacity and also produce practical support through the Cyber Emmergency Response Teams (CERT),” he said. 
Citing mobile money, he said many mobile money agents have been targeted by fraudsters and CERT has helped to prosecute the culprits and save the businesses. 
He said whoever is under attack should report such incidents to them for assistance free of charge.

Mr Johnson Omollo, the NTV-Uganda general manager, who opened the forum, said for 14 years now, Daily Monitor, KPMG, and the sponsors Uganda Investment Authority and dfcu Bank, have been carrying out the Top 100 mid-sized company survey to identify the companies which need to be supported to grow into the SME bracket.
Mr Ron Kawamara, the chief executive officer of Jumia Uganda, and also the chairperson of e-trade Association of Uganda, said next year, their association is joining the initiative to collaborate, share ideas and work together with the surveyed companies on how to leverage on technology and innovations to expand their businesses and also attract funding.

Mr Ronald Kasasa, the head of business banking at dfcu Bank, said in the global market today, connections enabled by technology are expensive but necessary. 
Mr Peter Kyambadde, a managing partner at KPMG, caustioned the SMEs in attendance against taking automation of their businesses for granted “because today, all stakeholders, including staff, customers, regulators, are opting for convenient services enabled by technology, which has cut wastage of resources which are now being directed towards business growth.”

Background
Now in its 14th year, the annual Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies Survey is a voluntary participation initiative.  It identifies companies in order to showcase business excellence and highlight some of the country’s most successful entrepreneurship stories. To participate, a company should have an annual turnover of between Shs360m and Shs25b, with the exception of banks, insurance companies, or accounting consulting firms and listed companies. 

 The annual survey is currently on going until the end of November. The successful companies will be unveiled on a date yet to be set in early December during a gala dinner night when they will also receive awards.