UBL creates 100,000 jobs, pays Shs811 billion
The findings also informed a panel discussion involving government, regulators and private sector representatives on the role of excise policy in supporting economic growth and addressing illicit trade.
market is a litre that pays no tax, creates no formal job, and offers no safety guarantee. Closing that gap must be a priority if Uganda is to safely grow its
manufacturing base.”
According to Felicite Nson, the UBL Managing Director, the study was commissioned to provide policymakers with objective data as Uganda reviews its fiscal policies. “The decisions shaping Uganda’s alcohol industry should be guided by credible evidence. This study provides an independent assessment demonstrating the contribution that compliant businesses make to jobs, manufacturing, agriculture and tax revenue. I am optimistic that the report will serve as a practical resource for policymakers designing reforms that protect the formal economy,” she said.
Representing the government, the Guest of Honour from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon Sanjay Tanna, welcomed the study as an important contribution to evidence-based policymaking: “Too much business in Uganda still runs on assumptions rather than evidence, and no enterprise can scale
on guesswork alone. By 2024, UBL’s core operations had added Shs203 billion directly to Uganda’s GDP, with an additional Shs267 billion flowing through its supply chain and Shs552 billion coming from downstream trade activity.”
Adding, “To secure government revenue, protect consumers, and encourage formal investment, the Oxford Economics report outlines a clear regulatory roadmap. It recommends implementing a multi-year, inflation-linked excise framework alongside maintaining tax incentives for locally sourced agricultural raw materials to
protect smallholder farmers’ incomes.
The study also calls for stronger regulatory enforcement against counterfeit, smuggled, and illicit artisanal alcohol, combined with harmonized tax structures across the East African Community to curb cross-border smuggling and support sustainable economic growth.
