Uganda will host the first East African Community manufacturing business summit and exhibition in early September.

According to the organisers – the EAC secretariat and East African Business Council (EABC) – the summit aims to promote East Africa as an attractive and competitive hub for manufacturing hub.

James Mutende, the minister of state for Industry, said the manufacturing business summit is a platform to show how the East African bloc can grow through a diversified manufacturing sector.

“The manufacturing summit will be held at Speke Resort hotel, Munyonyo, and the exhibition will be graced by President Yoweri Museveni. We expect the presence of international and regional development partners and captains of industries in the region,” Mutende told the press at the Media Centre recently.

Jean Baptiste Havugimana, the director of products at the EAC secretariat, said the summit was expected to unveil new possibilities of manufacturing within the region and generate solutions and strategies to address any shortcomings within the sector.

“The contributions of industries to the GDP in all the countries in the region is only 10 per cent, according to reports from International Monetary Fund and EAC data, but through such summits and discussions we want to see that the contribution increases to 25 per cent in the near future,” Havugimana said.

“Our strategic plan at the EAC secretariat is to ensure that the manufacturing sector is on the frontline in driving the economy…”

Shem Bageine, Uganda’s minister of state for EAC, said the two-day event would have sessions on issues such as sustainable and low cost energy for manufacturing, access to the latest technology, financing and innovation.

“Other areas for discussion will include the impact of counterfeiting, standards and intellectual property rights (IPRs). There will also be an opportunity for dialogue between ministers and industry leaders,” Bageinehe said.

He also explained that there would be a dialogue on regulatory and tax reforms that are necessary to make EAC more competitive.

Source: All Africa

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