KAMPALA, Uganda — State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite, is championing local production as a key strategy to slash Uganda’s significant import bill. The minister, speaking at the opening of a new Chint Uganda showroom, said the country’s market is ready for locally produced goods, which will help save millions of dollars currently spent on imports.
Anite cited figures from the Uganda Revenue Authority, stating that the country imports approximately $3 million (about shs10.7 billion) worth of home appliances annually. She emphasized that this money could be kept within the country if local companies meet the demand.
“Now, if they’re being made in Uganda here, that means that we are going to save the dollar that our citizens were using to go and buy in China, in Dubai, in Turkey,” Anite said. “We are going to save it with by buying from Chint in Uganda, because Chint is making the products here.”
The minister assured investors of government support, noting that local production not only addresses the import substitution agenda but also creates employment for Ugandans and contributes to tax revenue.
Harry Mugisha, the marketing manager for Chint Uganda, confirmed the company’s commitment to local manufacturing. He noted that while their factory has a significant production capacity, they plan to export products across East Africa and the wider continent to meet demand and ensure the factory operates at full capacity.
“We shall go to other markets within East Africa and Africa by exporting the products manufactured here in Uganda,” Mugisha said.
