Bad Roads Hampering Investment & Industrial Development – Jinja City Mayor Tells Uganda Investment Authority
The UIA Director General Robert Mukiza said they were in Jinja to 'listen to your issues and challenges.' He added that UIA wanted to hear the hard things so that they can get practical solutions and drive Uganda's industrialization agenda.
The Mayor of Jinja City, His Lordship Peter Kasolo believes that with proper roads, the iconic town can get back to its glory days as the most industrialized district in Uganda.
He has therefore asked the government to in a special way consider road construction in the city to facilitate investment and industrialization.
“Our biggest challenge is poor infrastructure, especially roads which is affecting industrialization and development,” Kasolo, who assured investors of the City’s support, said.
Kasolo’s words were re-echoed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Modern Group Thakkar Ashish who stated that improved infrastructure, especially roads, would significantly boost industrial development in the Greater Jinja Area.
The two leaders were speaking at the Nile Resort Hotel, Jinja during the investor stakeholder engagement & facilitation meeting organised by the Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA).
The meeting’s objective was to understand challenges & find practical solutions that would enable investors to take off in Jinja and Busoga region at large.
The UIA Director General Robert Mukiza said they were in Jinja to ‘listen to your issues and challenges.’ He added that UIA wanted to hear the hard things so that they can get practical solutions and drive Uganda’s industrialization agenda.
He revealed that to make it easier to do business in Uganda, the government through UIA reduced the amount of bureaucracy needed to secure an investment license & other permits with the establishment of the One-Stop Centre.
For example, he said that an investment license is free.
“We are pushing an aggressive agenda for industrial park development. These parks will be fully serviced with world-class infrastructure & government
has committed to providing electricity directly to these industrial parks for 0.5 US cents per kWh.” Mukisa further revealed.
The half-day meeting was attended by the state minister for finance in charge of investment Evelyn Anite, Jinja City Mayor, UIA board chair Morrison Rwakamba, investors and other dignitaries.
