Kampala — President Museveni has announced a ban on import bonds for products that are locally produced in Uganda.
The President issued the directive on Tuesday evening while meeting a delegation from the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) at State House Entebbe.
A statement from State House said the delegation was led by Ms Barbra Mulwana, the UMA chairperson.
The meeting was also attended by ministers Ms Amelia Kyambadde (Trade and Industry), Mr Matia Kasaija (Finance) and Ms Evelyn Anite (State for Investment).
Mr Museveni reportedly said: "There should be no bonded warehouse for sugar or any other product that we have produced in abundance in Uganda. The practice of bonding such products is due to corruption."
Mr Museveni was responding to complaints from the UMA delegation who had accused some government officials of frustrating the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (Bubu) policy by allowing importation of products similar to those produced locally.
Ms Mulwana told the President that several government entities continue to procure imported products over locally manufactured products irrespective of their quality and standard.
Issues warning
Mr Museveni then warned that he will sack government officials who ignore local products in preference to those from abroad.
A few months ago, he ordered the sacking of an official in the Ministry of Education and Sports who procured office furniture from abroad.
Last month, Mr Frank Yang, the proprietor of Goodwill Uganda Ltd, the manufacturers of Tiles at Kapeeka Industrial Park in Luweero, complained that government agencies are not buying his products for their construction projects.
At the time, Ms Anite promised to follow it up by writing to all government construction projects to show where they procure construction materials.
At this week's meeting, Mr Museveni said government will begin levying high taxes on imported products similar to those produced in quantities in Uganda.
Mr Museveni assured the UMA delegation that electricity rates would soon reduce as Isimba, Karuma and Ayago power dams get completed, and projected that in the next four years, the country will be generating about 5000MW and 1000MW of geothermal energy.
Mr Museveni agreed with the UMA delegation that there is need to emphasise the skilling of the available human resource using the existing technical institutions to suit the industrialisation that has taken off.
