Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister Sanjay Tanna has outlined an ambitious plan to strengthen Uganda’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), pledging government support for entrepreneurs with innovative and commercially viable ventures. He said empowering local businesses will remain at the heart of the ministry’s efforts to accelerate economic growth and create more employment opportunities.Tanna made the commitment while addressing entrepreneurs, political leaders and business stakeholders during a thanksgiving ceremony and business symposium organised by the NRM Entrepreneurs League in Mbale.
The gathering brought together participants from across Eastern Uganda to discuss strategies for expanding local enterprise and investment.He said the government is determined to provide practical support to entrepreneurs through agencies under the Ministry of Trade, including the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC). According to the minister, businesses with strong and sustainable ideas will have an opportunity to access support aimed at helping them grow into successful enterprises.The minister stressed that Uganda’s future prosperity depends on increasing value addition instead of exporting raw materials.
He urged investors and entrepreneurs to establish industries that process local agricultural products, saying this approach would increase export earnings while creating jobs and improving household incomes.Tanna identified coffee, honey, shea butter, cocoa butter and avocado oil among the products with significant international market potential. He noted that demand for natural and processed products continues to grow globally, presenting Ugandan businesses with an opportunity to compete in lucrative export markets if quality standards are maintained.He added that the ministry’s priorities are in line with the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy under the National Development Plan IV, which seeks to transform Uganda into a competitive and industrialised economy. Besides agro-processing, he said tourism, mining, science, technology and innovation will also receive greater attention because of their potential to expand investment and employment.
Encouraging the youth to embrace innovation, Tanna challenged aspiring entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in software development, digital solutions and other technology-based industries. He said the ministry intends to play a more active role in helping innovators turn promising concepts into profitable and sustainable businesses.During his visit, the minister also commissioned a newly constructed commercial building owned by businessman Richard Malaya, proprietor of Abra Supermarkets. He described the investment as a clear demonstration of the growing confidence of indigenous entrepreneurs and an example of the private sector’s vital contribution to Uganda’s economic development.
