KAMPALA, UGANDA — Minister of State for Privatization and Investment Evelyn Anite pledged government support for Mavid Pharmaceutical Industries Limited on Thursday, promising to assist the Ugandan manufacturer with expansion and job creation.
During a tour of the company’s factory in Bilongo, Kitiko, Anite said the visit was to discuss how the government could provide incentives to Mavid, a company that manufactures a range of certified drugs, from cough mixtures to surgical spirits.
“It’s a very exciting day for me to meet these Ugandan manufacturers,” Anite told reporters. “To see Ugandans manufacturing a range of products… is very exciting. These products are not imported.”
The minister said her office would help Mavid relocate to a government-owned industrial park, providing them with free land and access to tax and non-tax incentives. She also vowed to personally appeal to the president to help the company secure an off-take agreement with National Medical Stores (NMS) and Joint Medical Stores (JMS) to guarantee a market for its products.
Anite praised Mavid, saying it had already created jobs, including for a daughter of the company’s founder who is now self-employed and working in the family business. She urged Ugandans to support local industries.
“When I say us, I mean buy Uganda, build Uganda,” she said.
The company pharmacist, Dr. Aisha Bukenya, expressed gratitude for the government’s support and emphasized Mavid’s commitment to quality.
“We know that we are the end users of these products,” Bukenya said. “We are meticulous about the quality, right from the raw material to our process to the finished product. We ensure that the quality comes before the profits.”
She praised the National Drug Authority (NDA) for its guidance, stating it has helped local manufacturers on their journey to compliance.
Bukenya said the company’s goal is to help Uganda’s healthcare sector become more self-reliant, a need highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that Mavid’s niche is wound care products and that it plans to expand into items like an instant hemostatic spray to help with the high number of road accident fatalities in the country.
She added that while raw materials are imported, local manufacturing helps lower the final cost of medicine by removing middlemen.
Mavid’s product line includes a variety of medicines and care products, such as hydrogen peroxide, surgical spirits, Calamine Lotion and a Mama Kit for expectant mothers.
