The government has announced that the plan to establish 25 regional industrial parks has been concluded after securing the required lands.
The project is under UIA’s strategic plan 2020–2025, themed “Accelerating Domestic and Foreign Direct Investment for Sustainable Industrial Industrialization,” which targets the creation of 400,000 jobs a year through industrial park development.
This is in line with Vision 2040 and the Third National Development Plan, which hinge on industrialization.
Robert Mukiza, the Director General of the Uganda Investment Authority, said on Thursday, May 9, 2024, that the government intends to kick-start the setting up of the parks in the coming financial year of 2024/2025.
“Everyone shouldn’t come to Namanve or Jinja industrial parks; we are setting up more regional industrial parks,” Mukiza said.
He said the move is to encourage traders into manufacturing, an initiative that can enhance Uganda’s exports.
Mukiza said the UIA is pushing for industrialization and establishing many industrial parks with the aim of decentralizing services needed for production.
“In our parks, we shall have zones for SMEs, where they can assess services too and develop into big manufacturers with time,” Mukiza said.
He also noted that creating regional industrial parks will directly reduce the cost of production of various commodities.
“The labor costs in Uganda are low in the region, making it easy to access labour and operate in Uganda,” Mukiza added.
President Yoweri Museveni, on May 7, 2024, while meeting with traders from Kampala at Kololo Independence Grounds, encouraged them to venture into the manufacturing business to spur the country’s export earnings.
The new industrial parks are planned for Gulu, Arua, Lira, Hoima, Buliisa, Hoima, Kabarole, Nakasongola, Luwero-Nakaseke, Kabarole, Mubende, Mityana, Masaka, Kabale, Bushenyi, Tororo, Rakai, and Iganga.
The science, technology, and innovation parks, on the other hand, will be set up in Pakwach, Kyankwanzi, Kamuli, and Rubirizi.
Uganda has, in the recent past, been ranked as one of the top 10 tour destinations in the world by CNN. The development involves the construction of regionally located industrial parks and four science, technology, and innovation parks (STIPs).
UIA already operates eight industrial and business parks in Uganda, including Namanve, Bweyogerere, Luzira, Kasese, Mbarara, Jinja, Mbale, Soroti, and Karamoja.
