Enhanced Competitiveness and Sustainability of Industrial Development in Uganda with Particular Emphasis on Agro-Industries and Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs)

Challenge

To support the efforts of Uganda to build an integrated and self-sustaining national economy, become integrated into the global economy and to enhance industrial competitiveness to generate income and employment to eradicate poverty.

Objectives

The Integrated Programme aims to develop and enhance capacities in agro-industries with good export market potential and promote MSMEs in priority sectors - food, textiles and leather - to improve investment promotion, industrial information and testing and certification services and facilities. It is also intended to pave the way for the creation of a National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) in Uganda.

Programme Components

COMPONENT I: AGRO-RELATED INDUSTRIES

This Component is designed to provide capacity-building assistance in three individual sectors (Current Planning Figure: US,675,272):

Food Industry
Activities are focused on establishing a structured and comprehensive food safety and quality assurance system by creating a national co-ordination system for food inspection and quality control, updating the regulations and through capacity building in relevant institutions. Specific measures also aim to develop and implement good product handling and quality management practices in selected food-processing enterprises and to establish a quality certification scheme for honey production. Further initiatives are planned to introduce upgraded and clean technologies in the food sector to serve as pilot operations and to promote post-harvest technologies promoted.

Textile Industry
Interventions are geared towards strengthening capacities in the small-scale textile sector to improve quality and competitiveness of products for local and export markets. Support measures primarily for women entrepreneurs include training in textile production techniques, promotion of cleaner production and the development of extension services.

Leather Industry
Existing training and production facilities are to be upgraded to raise productivity and quality levels. The national Leather Training and Common Facility will be strengthened to provide training, extension services and conduct promotional activities for the footwear and leather products sector. Collection arrangements, quality standards, grading and marketing infrastructure are to be put in place for raw hides in targeted rural districts. Activities also aim at upgrading SME skills in quality control and establishing a small vegetable leather processing facility for sheep and goatskins to meet local raw material demands.

COMPONENT II: DEVELOPMENT OF MICRO AND SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES (MSIs)

Specifically targeting MSIs, this Component provides for measures to improve the regulatory environment, technical training and advisory services through a Master Craftsmen Programme and development of entrepreneurial skills. Increased horizontal and vertical linkages are to be promoted between SMEs, large-scale enterprises and MSIs. An intervention is also geared towards increasing the supply of qualified entrepreneurs and workers through sensitization tour programmes (Current Planning Figure: US id="ucfLayout02" onload="try { OnBodyLoad(); } catch(e) { }; afterload();",106,000).

COMPONENT III: INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND INFORMATION NETWORK

Activities planned include capacity-building measures for the Uganda Investment Authority to develop an industrial and business park and for the Uganda Coffee Development Authority to build international partnerships. A business plan for the provision of commercial industrial information services is to be prepared. The Component also includes a joint UNIDO-Italy programme to establish and investment promotion unit in Uganda with the focus on Italian investors. Training programmes will be offered to entrepreneurs, managers and other key staff involved in handling investment projects. (Current Planning Figure: US id="ucfLayout02" onload="try { OnBodyLoad(); } catch(e) { }; afterload();",596,000).

COMPONENT IV: STRENGTHENING THE UGANDA NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS (UNBS)

The aim of this Component is to enhance and commercialize the operations of UNBS to enable it to provide Ugandan industries with comprehensive standardization, quality assurance, metrology and compliance testing services (Current Planning Figure: US6,228).

COMPONENT V: ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION CENTRE (NCPC) IN UGANDA

In order to reduce industrial pollution by SMEs in particular, this Component will address the need to promote cleaner production technologies by preparing a business plan for NCPC. Other activities foreseen include the implementation of six core cleaner production services in line with the plan, ranging from awareness-raising to in-plant demonstrations, technical assistance, investment promotion, NCPC management and networking (Current Planning Figure: US9,700).

CONTACT: Fatima Bennani-Baiti, E-mail: F.Bennani@unido.org