Here is how the Electronic Investors Protection Portal will facilitate investment in Uganda
Col. Nakalema informed the President that the electronic portal will solve the challenges that are being faced by investors in the country.
President Yoweri Museveni on 13th December 2023 launched the Electronic Investors Protection Portal (EIPP) at State House, Entebbe. The digital platform is designed to safeguard investment processes in Uganda.
The portal which is an initiative of the State House Investors Protection Unit headed by Col. Edith Nakalema will offer guidance to investors through access to authentic government sources, give a comprehensive reporting mechanism for investor inquiries and complaints and offer a robust enforcement and follow-up on reported issues, complemented by regular feedback to investors.
It will also offer a valuable bridge connecting investors with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as language translation features to accommodate non-English speaking investors.
Museveni commended Col. Nakalema for the initiative that has come in handy to support the historical mission of modern societies such as Uganda to create prosperity which in modern times is as a result of producing a good or a service and selling it either as an investor or an employee.
“I created the Investors Protection Unit because I wanted focus. I told Nakalema not to become a judge. If investors are fighting over land in the courts, those are their issues, but you look at the government officials who are supposed to facilitate investment, how they are facilitating or not facilitating that investment effort. That is all. Look at the investors in the industry, services and may be to some extent, the commercial agricultural sector,” the President said.
Col. Nakalema informed the President that the electronic portal will solve the challenges that are being faced by investors in the country.
“As per your guidance, we work closely with all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for promoting, supporting and protecting investors in this country.
Your Excellency, while these MDAs are delivering on their respective mandate, some of the concerns raised by investors include delays in getting feedback from some of the MDAs and that at times they do not get or receive feedback at all,” Col. Nakalema said.
“Some of these delays are motivated by corrupt tendencies. Aware of the challenges, Your Excellency guided us to leverage technology in order to limit human interaction that is manipulated by the corrupt to derail or even to frustrate investors.
We engaged the National Information Technology Authority- Uganda (NITA-U) and the key government stakeholders in the investment sector and we have worked diligently to develop EIPP for Your Excellency’s monitoring of all our agencies,” she added.
Col. Nakalema further noted that the EIPP will offer protection to investors by guiding them to government MDAs for authentic information and it will save them from falling in the hands of wrong elements like fraudsters.
“The portal has a reporting mechanism through which investors can inquire or file complaints. The electronic portal also enables information and follow up on investors’ complaints as well as giving quick feedback to all the investors,” she asserted.
“Your Excellency, the electronic portal also enables you to monitor and oversee all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and how they address investors’ concerns. Therefore, it is Your Excellency’s tool to monitor all of us. The portal will be hosted by NITA-U Uganda which hosts all other government IT systems and will be managed by the State House Investors Protection Unit.”
The Executive Director of NITA-U, Dr. Hatwib Mugasa told the President that the digital portal is easy to use, and it will achieve its desired goal of protecting the investors.
