KAMPALA, UGANDA: There are 12,183 jobs to be created by new projects licensed by the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) in the last three months.

In the period July to September 2009, the authority licensed 104 projects worth $265,765,528.

Out of the 104, 58 projects owned by Ugandans, 14 are owned by Indians while 37 are from 13 other countries. Apart from jobs, the country ill benefit from taxation and social infrastructure if the companies develop friendly social responsibility policies.

Major investors are from India, United Kingdom, China, Nigeria, Russia, Kenya, Virgin Islands, Sudan, Eritrea and Lebanon.

The major sector in attracting investment is the manufacturing sector that has attracted 36 projects with a planned investment of $93.4 million and is expected to create 4001 jobs, according to a quarterly released by the Uganda Investment Authority last week.

“The manufacturing sector continues to attract more investments and to create the urgently needed jobs for the Ugandans,” said the UIA Executive Director Dr. Maggie Kigozi.

She said some of these projects take off immediately while others delay because they have to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and others delay due problems in sourcing funds.

She said this is in line with the government’s strategy to create jobs and adding value to the agro-products and other raw resources.

“The steady increase in the manufacturing set ups is in response to the regional demand for Uganda’s edible oils, maize flour, and other food stuffs, dairy products, plastics utensils, from Uganda’s surrounding markets of Rwanda, DCR Congo and Sudan,” she said.

UIA Board Chairman Patrick Bitature said the authority is on course with the establishment of the 22 industrial parks as per the 2009/2010 budget with an objective of intensifying the drive to add value to Ugandan products and eradicate poverty through the provision of incomes.

He said the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP) located at Namanve on Jinja road, 10 kilometres East of Kampala is being implemented on a fast track arrangement.

This is a $150 million World Bank project that is also expected to create over 5000 jobs when industrialists start using it.

“Most of the earthworks that include construction of a road network to sub-grade level have been completed,” he said.

The authority also procured 70 acres of land for establishment of the an industrial park at Luzira, a Kampala suburb and factory construction by the beneficiaries is going on.He said the master plan for another 50 acres in Bweyogerere another Kampala suburb has been prepared and approved by the National Industrial Park Planning Committee.

The authority has also acquired 12 acres for the small and medium scale (SME) industrial park and is in the process of acquiring 640 acres of land in Western region town of Mbarara. Foreign Direct Investment in Uganda has grown significantly over the years and Uganda is set to draw in a lot more foreign investors courtesy of the young oil and gas sector that is just getting off the ground.

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