You aren’t on holiday, govt tells officials at Dubai expo
A Ugandan official engages a potential investor in Dubai, UAE, on October 6, 2021. PHOTO/courtesy
What you need to know:
- Officials have been advised to network, benchmark and later apply the experiences at the expo to transform the country.
Government ministers, Members of Parliament and other officials attending the Dubai 2020 Expo have been advised to benchmark and return home as a resourceful personnel.
According to some prominent private sector players, it would be a waste of time and resources for government officials to attend the expo and fail to impact on the development of the country.
One of the leading private sector players following the expo is Ms Barbara Mulwana, the presidential CEO Forum (PFC) board chairperson.
Ms Mulwana, who is also the chairperson of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), is of the view that government officials should benchmark and later apply valuable experiences they have witnessed at the expo to transform the country into a modern nation just like the United Arab Emirates.
“We are hoping that you (government officials) learn something from here, even if it means just taking a little from the UAE,” Ms Mulwana told Ugandan officials comprising ministers, MPs, permanent secretaries, and heads of several agencies attending the Uganda tourism, trade business forum held at the sideline of the 202O Expo in Dubai.
In a separate interview, the Trade minister, Mr Francis Mwebesa, said business membership organisations, including the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), have a role in transforming the economy of the country.
The President of UNCCI, Ms Olive Kigongo, said the organisation “is vibrant and focused on enhancing business opportunities’’.
“We are dedicated to ensuring our members take advantage of the business opportunities locally, regionally, and internationally,” she added.
In her remarks to the potential investors, Ms Mulwana asked them to always liaise with their form that provides a direct and adequate link between the private sector leadership, CEO’s from corporate institutions, and government executives.
“Opportunities in Uganda are limitless, especially in agriculture because it is important for our people. Then there is the education sector and many other key sectors to invest in. As a country, we envision becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2040,” she said.
