Eastern regional trade fair returns after two-year break
Exhibition tents erected at the ongoing six-day Eastern Regional Trade Fair (ERTF) at Mbale S.S grounds in Mbale District. PHOTO/ JULIET NALWOOGA
What you need to know:
- The trade fair organized by the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) is running under the theme, “Celebrating Local Manufacturing Excellence”.
Over 100 manufacturers, traders and distributors, among others from the business sector are taking part in the 12th Eastern Regional Trade Fair (ERTF) at Mbale S.S grounds in Mbale District.
Returning after a two-year break induced by the Covid-19 pandemic locdown, the Six-day trade fair has, according to organisers, attracted about thousands of visitors so far.
The trade fair organized by the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) is running under the theme, “Celebrating Local Manufacturing Excellence”.
UMA board Chairperson, Mr Deo Kayemba aimed at facilitating business to business linkages among manufacturers and suppliers of products from all sectors and consumers under one platform.
“The ERTF is providing product launch and benchmarking opportunities for manufacturers. It is also creating opportunities for producers to create orders and widen their market,” he noted.
According to Mr Kayemba, business facilitation agencies like the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), and Electricity Regulatory Authority, among others are taking part in the trade fair to tip traders on how best to conduct business.
UMA board Chairperson, Mr Deo Kayemba
It has attracted 22 foreign exhibitors from Kenya, Nigeria, India and Tanzania, all dealing in construction products, automobile, agricultural machinery, foods and beverages, packaging materials, health products, and electricals, among others.
Mr Luke Wang, the director Tian Tang Group from Sino-Industrial Park in Mbale District, one of the 22 state-level industrial parks in the country said that the trade fair brings together a total 37 factories and employing over 1,500 Ugandans. He urged manufacturers to always take part in trade fairs and also seek better ways of transacting business for the development of the economy in a long run.
“The key for Uganda to develop is manufacturing,” he emphasized.
The ERTF is one of the three trade fairs organized by UMA organises annually. The other two are Western region trade fair and the Uganda International Trade Fair usually held at the UMA grounds in Kampala.
