4 NEW VISION, Friday, November 2, 2018 REGIONAL NEWS Museveni opens six factories The park is allocated to 283 prospective investors, but is currently occupied by only 35 factories By Pascal Kwesiga & Edward Kayiwa (UIA) said the total investment of the six plants commissioned yesterday is $177.1m (about President Yoweri Museveni spent the big part of sh662b). yesterday at the Kampala Industrial and Business Uganda’s iron and steel imports currently amount Park , Namanve, where he commissioned six new to about $300m annually. factories. “Currently, Steel and Tube imports equipment After launching the first three factories, engaging from Ukraine and South Africa. I will launch a with the proprietors and taking a close look at the factory in July in Tororo to process iron ore and equipment and operations, the President headed make this equipment. We are going to solve that to the Steel and Tube plant, the biggest of all the problem,” Museveni said. industrial establishments he commissioned. Responding to challenges and damage to Here, he was shown around the plant and machines occasioned by unstable power supply, launched its new components before flagging Museveni said the country now has sufficient off five heavy-duty trucks loaded with exports to electricity, but its transmission to factories is countries in the East African region. hampered by old infrastructure. Then, he entered an enclosed ground where “When I went to an industrial park in Kapeeka the company employees waited and was greeted recently, I was told about the same problem. But with excitement. He was also treated to a brief it is temporary because we are rehabilitating the performance by a traditional troupe. transmission infrastructure,” he added. Impressed by his government’s achievements, Steel and Tube employs 1,100 people today. The Museveni cited one of his favourite biblical company was given over 50 acres in the industrial expressions. park. “They have eyes, but cannot see, they have ears, Yiga of Steel and Tube leading President Museveni around the factory premises they don’t use them” he said of his critics. “This Local industries to get preference (Steel and Tube) is testimony to what the NRM has The industrial, park managed by UIA, sits on been telling you on how to liberate yourselves from 2,200 acres located in Wakiso and Mukono poverty.” districts. It is allocated to 283 prospective The President said the Steel and Tube factory investors, and is currently occupied by 35 benefited from a policy decision taken by the factories. Government in the 1980s, when it discouraged “I am happy to have launched the six factories imports of cosmetic products. today. But one of them is not good. Toyota! It is not The factory chairman and proprietor, Joseph a factory; it is a warehouse, selling to us cars. I love Yiga, was a cosmetics importer then and the policy the Japanese and they have helped to build the directive informed his decision to venture into a new bridge in Jinja, but I want them to make cars new area – importation of construction materials – here. I refused to sit in their car for pictures. I said I which laid the foundation for the factory. cannot sit in a car that is not mine,” Museveni said. Steel and Tube has, however, been in operation The five factories, the President said, would add for some years and the President was invited to value to the economy. He said the Government commission its new components, which have would do everything in its power to support them, boosted its production capacity to 360,000 tonnes including taxing imports heavily and maintaining a of steel and tube products. In 2016, it was producing 10-year tax holiday for manufacturers. 150,000 tonnes of steel and tube products. Earlier, the investors asked the Government to The President also launched Luuka Plastics. impose taxes on imports to protect local industries. Museveni, who began commissioning the factories “Soon, you will be using copper from Kilembe at around 1:30pm, left the industrial park shortly to make parts of transformers. He (transformer after 5:00pm. investor) wants us to impose taxes on imports. Yes, Earlier, he launched the $4m Orion Transformers we are going to impose it; 25% to protect these and Electrics Ltd, the $4m Alfasan Uganda, a industries. We are going to tax them heavily,” company manufacturing veterinary and human Museveni said. medicines, the about $2m Interior Industries Investment state minister Evelyn Anite also called Ltd and the $10m Luuka Plastics. He also for imposition of prohibitive taxes on imports, commissioned the new over $9.1m Toyota services saying “we are already doing it on ceramic tiles”. centre. Museveni said all government institutions should The current Steel and Tube capital investment buy locally-manufactured goods, adding that is $150m. The Uganda Investment Authority private sector players will be discouraged from Museveni commissions Alfasan Uganda Limited, manufacturers of veterinary and human health products. Centre is the managing director, Dr Stephen Birungi Members of the business community at the main function in Namanve 0XZDQJDRI/XXND3ODVWLFVVKRZV3UHVLGHQW0XVHYHQLWKHFRPSDQ\SURoOH.