Sharon Ayat Arach, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Spokesperson has urged government to enhance the growing of cotton that had been abandoned in the 1970s during Idi Amin’s reign.
In a press conference at Uganda House on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, Arach revealed that the ban of second hand clothes is going to affect traders especially youth who are the greatest employees thus the need for the government revive the growing of cotton.
“There is need to enhance the growing of cotton that had been abandoned in the 1970s during Idi Amin’s reign, which was revived in the early 1980s and the original cotton belt that covered much of Eastern and Northern Uganda started taking shape,” Arach said.
She emphasized that the presidential directive should ideally lead to enhanced cotton growing with the distinct revival of the old cotton belt as it offers the best physical and climatic conditions for cotton growing as well as abundant opportunities for development.
“Cotton and its by-products, like cooking oil, soap and cottonseed cake have a ready market. This goes with offering of more employment opportunities in the long-run. We need draw to experience textile industry from countries like Ghana which did not ban second hand clothes textiles while heavily in local growing of cotton areas,” Arach said.
According to Arach, UPC has taken note of the latest presidential directive on the ban of second hand clothes and recommended that it should be done in a phased manner for better preparations as well as allowing those dealing in that business to make good plans for business transition.
“The ban on second hand clothes is going to affect traders especially youth who are the greatest employees. We call on government to rethink where to re-channel those who have been dealing in second hand clothes,” she said.
She also noted that, money lending institutions like Banks and SACCOs are caught in between the presidential directive as they have been extending loan facilities to the traders, therefore, loan servicing and recovery mechanisms need to be considered.
“Landlords too are waiting for the rent directly from those who deal in second hand clothes and had rented business premises while banks, SACCOs and other lending institutions are caught in between the presidential directive,” she said.
By the 1960s, our textile products were finding a ready Market in Britain’s leading Supermarkets, therefore the reality of Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) should help us recover the lost ground in the International market as a country.
