The Minister for Privatisation and Investment Hon Evelyn Anite has underscored the importance of having a One Stop Center to ensure that all investors get services in one place to speed up investment promotion and industrialization.
Speaking at a one-day sensitization meeting organized by Uganda Investment Authority aimed at engaging Investors on their progress and challenges, Anite said that the One Stop Center at Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) will ensure that investors get services without a hustle thereby reducing their operating costs.
"By having a One Stop Center at Uganda Investment Authority, the investors will overcome the red tape bureaucracy associated with going to different places located in different places," Anite said.
She added, "am happy that Investors have embarked on value addition on raw material found in Uganda and have since started exporting finished products on top of creating jobs,"
Director General of Uganda Investment Authority Robert Mukiza said that all line government departments engaged in Investment promotion have already established their offices at Uganda Investment Authority Head offices in Namanve among them Uganda Export Promotions Board, NITA-Uganda, Immigration department, Umeme, National Water and Sewage Corporation, Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Uganda Industrial Research Institute among many others.
Anite said that the government of Uganda through the Uganda Investment Authority and Ministry of Works has already sunk US 240 million dollars in the provision of roads under the Kampala Industrial and Business Park Infrastructure Development Project in Namanve and will also work on the drainage in the Industrial Park. The infrastructural Development will also include broadband internet access services, Police Station fully equipped with fire fighting machine, Public bus transport and public toilets all aimed at easing the
On the issue of excessive taxes, Anite said explained that there are several incentives available for all investors and if their requirements are met they will have tax relief and she encouraged all investors to ensure that they meet their tax obligations.
She, therefore, urged the investors who have invested in research and skills development that their taxes will be deducted if they become compliant and also asked them to ensure that they pay NSSF contributions for their employees.
Minister Anite also warned investors to play by the terms of the land lease agreement they enter and questioned the double standards of some investors like Saba Gifco who failed to
develop the land that was withdrawn from them but wants to blackmail UIA officers.
Minister Anite, however, hailed the investors for remaining calm during the turbulent time of the COVID-19 pandemic with its associated challenges, establishing more industries and providing much-needed jobs to Ugandans.
Uganda Investment Authority Board Chairman Morrison Rwakakamba welcomed investors' engagements and said that such engagement saying would offer a learning experience that will help in the improvement of the working relationship.
Board Member UIA, Angello Izama who chairs the Investment Promotion, said that most Investors have met the requirements for Investment incentives especially by employing 70% of Ugandans in their factories.
He said that their resilience in expanding their industries was a vote of confidence in the Uganda Investment Authority's capacity to provide a conducive environment for investment promotion.
However, the investors who spoke on behalf of others lamented that Uganda Investment Authority was too slow in implementing their part like tarmacking the roads and working on drainage.
Stuart Jason Mwesigwa who represented Roofings Rolling Mills and Polypipe's, the first foreign Investor in Namanve which established its base 27 years ago thanked the government for establishing the Industrial Park which helped them improve on their production and penetrate markets in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
He however urged Uganda Investment Authority to prevail over stakeholders in the One Stop Center to act timely in implementing their requests.
Mwesigwa also asked fellow investors to respect the greening economy and avoid establishing industries in wetlands.
Some investors however complained that despite being allocated land by Uganda Investment Authority they are being told by National Environment Management Authority to leave the areas they were given because they lie in wetlands, but on this note Minister Anite said that it was not in order and she will look into the matter with NEMA.
The investors called on Uganda Investment Authority to make regular engagements with them so that they can better understand their concerns, achievements, opportunities and challenges.