The East African Tribune

Museveni warns on counterfeit products

August 26th, 2008

President Yoweri Museveni has called on investors to make Uganda a competitive investment destination and increase its market share internationally, regionally and locally.

Speaking last evening at the closing of the 3^rd Investors’ Round Table Meeting at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, the President expressed optimism that Uganda could in the near future easily overtake countries like Vietnam and Colombia in coffee production especially if the new good quality clonal coffee trees replace the old brand. He stressed the importance of research as a means of getting better breeds.

The meeting delved into issues like education, counterfeit products, railways, forest encroachment, threat of depletion of fish in our waters and land ownership, among others.

President observed that counterfeit products spoil the economic performance of a nation and taint its reputation. He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Trade and Industry to expeditiously address the issue of counterfeits including cross examining agents to avoid compromise and institute punitive measures to punish offenders. Mr. Museveni also advised the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs. Janat Mukwaya, to convene a mini-conference of all economic councillors for consultation on the way forward on intellectual property management.

On the issue of overfishing, the President said that it will be decisively solved following the introduction of the Prosperity for All (PFA) programme. He noted that the programme will go a long way in easing pressure on lakes as many Ugandans in the countryside have invested in fish farming. “Depleting the lakes of fish will soon stop”, the President declared.

On railway transport, Mr. Museveni said that the Movement government is working closely with the governments of neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania to ensure that improvements are made in the network.

The President told the meeting that the Movement government is interested in solving the unemployment problem through investment promotion. He, therefore, explained that the government has no interest in charging rent as far as the land issue is concerned.

On mineral wealth, the President informed the meeting Sukuru hills in eastern Uganda have plenty of phosphates and adding that the area’s inhabitants will be re-settled for purposes of exploiting the resource. He gave assurance that the re-settlement exercise will be carried out amicably.

Regarding education, President Museveni told the meeting that the country now has about 4,000 secondary schools up from the 800 that existed before the Movement government came to power in 1986. He, however, stressed that the mushrooming private secondary schools in the country must offer high quality education as a precursor to development.

The President also warned school owners against the habit of charging extra fees to non-Ugandan students and said this should stop. He said this is a spoiler of Uganda’s politics because “I am a Pan-Africanist”.

Mr. Museveni directed the committee under the Prime Minister to take up the recommendations reached by the Presidential Investors’ Round Table Meeting. He also directed that all commercial laws be availed by the next meeting due in February next year.

Trade and Industry Minister, Mrs. Janat Mukwaya, assured the meeting that her Ministry along with other bodies, like the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, will appoint expert agents to make pre-inspection exercises of goods before they come to Uganda as a way of curtailing counterfeit products on the market. She emphasized that the exercise will be conducted in the countries of origin such as China and Dubai, among others.

She further told the meeting that a Consumer Protection Bill is yet to be in place to ensure that the final consumer is not endangered or exploited in the distribution chain of goods and services. She explained that the pre-inspection exercise will enable the people of Uganda get merchandise that has value for money.

Entry Filed under: Business/Economy