Manufactures want product registration eased
CAPTION: State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi (R) during the launch of BUBU Magazine 2025 at the western trade Expo in Mbarara City on Saturday 26th, 2026. (Courtsey photo).
By Our reporter
MBARARA – Local manufacturers have asked the government to ease the registration of their locally manufactured products to allow them to compete on the international markets.
The local manufacturers made the request during the official opening of the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) first-ever western trade Expo in Mbarara City on Saturday
Julius Bigabwa, the director of Biglad Agri Tourism Farm in Kiko Town Council, said the cost of doing business in the country is so expensive, citing formalities in registering and certification of their products.
“The Buy Uganda, Build Uganda will not succeed unless you come up with plans and policies to support local manufacturers, the process of getting certification from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) requires over Shs 3 million and most of the businesses that are growing start with less than Shs 1 million, where do you expect to get this money from,” he said.
Hillary Ankunda, the director of Nulia Confectionaries in Ibanda Municipality asked why the government gives tax waivers to foreign companies and ignored local manufacturers that begin businesses with little capital.
Simon Mwijuka, the chairperson Mbarara City Traders Association (MBACITA) also echoed that the required process of company and product registration is hectic and expensive for the local manufacturers to grow.
The State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi in response said that the government was ready to support the manufacturers through a multi-sectorial approach
He narrated that government has increased efforts to address these issues through provision of value addition equipment and establishment of regional laboratories to provide testing services closer to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses and challenged the manufactures to take advantage of such facilities to make their goods and services certified and become competitive.
The government BUBU policy under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives was approved in 2014 and launched in 2017 to encourage Ugandans buy locally produced goods and services, its implementation strategy was developed in 2016.
