ENTEBBE, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appealed to Japan to boost trade with Uganda and remove taxes on its exports during a meeting with a delegation from the Nippon Foundation.
The delegation, which included Isao Iijima, a special advisor to Japan’s prime minister, and Takeju Ogata, chairman of the Nippon Foundation, is in Uganda to commemorate the launch of a new rehabilitation center for veterans in the Mubende District. The Nippon Foundation contributed $500,000 to the construction and equipping of the center, which will provide support for soldiers who have lost limbs in combat.
While expressing gratitude for Japan’s long-standing partnership, which includes support for major infrastructure projects like the Nile Bridge, Museveni shifted the focus to trade.
“What we need most is for Japan to buy our products,” Museveni said. “We would like to trade with you, and we also wish that Japan removes taxes from our exports.”
Ogata noted the foundation’s more than 40 years of work in Uganda, primarily in agriculture and social development.
He pledged continued cooperation to help the country build resilience against challenges like climate change.
Museveni also commended Iijima for helping to secure recent donations, which included 2,000 sewing machines, fire trucks, ambulances, and prosthetic materials for veterans and women’s groups.7
