Private sector umbrella plans competitiveness expo in September

August 9, 2018 in Business, Policy by Editor

August 9, 2018—An event is being organised by one of Uganda’s leading business umbrellas to focus renewed attention on sharpening local competitiveness in international trade.

The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) will host the 13th Trade and Facilitation Expo between September 3^rd and 5^th at Lugogo show-grounds on the outskirts of central Kampala.

Under the theme, ‘Business Competitiveness through improved Skills, Innovative Financially and Value-Additions in value chains’, PSFU executive director, Gideon Badagawa said in mid-week, “The expo represents an opportunity for Uganda to host a number of respectable businessmen and women across the globe to provide information, networking and capacity building for the country’s importers and exporters by bringing them together to interact with Uganda’s major trade partners with the leading providers of trade facilitating service.”

He said during a news conference that Uganda’s medium business sector remains underdeveloped mainly because of a lack of standardized goods and under productivity in its labour force. He also highlighted the slow move by Ugandans to formalise their enterprises.

“Registration and formalisation of businesses is very crucial for business development. The other important factor is improving the standards of our products. Only then will we be able to compete on the global market,” Badagawa said.

The expo will host government trade facilitation agencies, ambassadors from different countries that Uganda trade with and other business facilitators. PSFU is being joined by several companies and government agencies including Uganda Revenue Authority, Bank of Baroda, Kenya Ports Authority, Harris International and the trade ministry to put the event together.

Among other objectives, this years expo is aimed at promoting business linkages between small and big companies, enable information access and sharing by different government agencies, enable trade attaches at diplomatic missions and embassies of Uganda’s leading trade partners and enabling PSFU members to understand the new structural operations of PSFU.

PSFU is Uganda’s apex body for the private sector. It is made up of over 200 business associations, corporate bodies and the major public sector agencies that support private sector growth. Since its founding in 1995, PSFU has served as a focal point for private sector advocacy as well as capacity building and continues to sustain a positive policy dialogue with the government on behalf of the private sector.