The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) in its latest report says it has licenced 193 projects during the first three quarters of financial year 2017/18 against a target of 225 projects representing 85.8 per cent of the target.
According to the report, local investors registered the highest value of planned investment of US $387 million which accounted for 52 per cent compared to foreign investors at US $357.7 million, accounting for 48 per cent of all the licensed projects in 2017/18.
The top four sectors were manufacturing at 56.5 per cent, Mining & Quarrying (11.4 per cent), Electricity, Gas and Water (10.7 per cent) and Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing (4 per cent).
The report highlights top five source countries for investment as; Ethiopia (US$ 227 million), Uganda ($28.8 million), India (US $21 million); USA (US $9 million) and China (US $4.8 million).
Meanwhile during the period under review, UIA says it facilitated 483 investors to access work permits, tax related services, business registration services, and environment related issues against the target of 150 companies. An estimated 108 companies were provided aftercare services against the target of 105 as at end of March 2018.
UIA monitored 643 projects, with the majority covered under the Investor Census 2017 which focused on projects located in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts.
Employment
According to UIA, The total planned employment is 19,072 jobs, with THE manufacturing sector accounting for 49.6 per cent, Agriculture at 14 per cent, Electricity, Gas & Water at 9.3 per cent and Community & Social services at 7.8 per cent.
UIA in its report adds that the distribution of employment by source of investment shows that direct domestic investment (DDI) will account for 62 per cent of the total planned employment as compared to Foreign Direct investment (FDI) which will account for 38 percent of the jobs.
Current status of KIBP
According to UIA, the 2,200 acre Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP) located 11 km East of Kampala in Namanve, has been al¬located to 291 prospective investors for development in various sub-sectors such as agro processing, mineral processing, ICT, logistics and freight, warehousing, general manufacturing as well as Tourism promotion activities.
Data shows that 30 industries are currently in operation within the KIBP directly employing 15,000 Ugandans within the park while 82 projects have commenced construction creating an additional 17,000 indirect/ short term/ contract/ technical jobs during this period.
While 129 companies are still in the pre-start stages thus; surveying, processing deed plans and titles, environmental impact assessment certificates, architectural designs, geotechnical and hydrological studies. “These too create employment to the various white collar professional job opportunities for Architects, physical planners, Environmental Consultants, Civil Engineers, Quantity Surveyors etc,” says the UIA report.
The report shows that 50 investors were allocated land in 2017.However, since 2013, 164 companies have had their approvals withdrawn from the facility for non-performance.
They include; MK Publishers, Kibao Ltd, Nutrimix feeds, Oscar Industries, Meera Investments, Surgipharm, Rwenzori, Dott Services, Wina Classic, Shumuk, Fang Fang, Nationwide properties, Akright, National Housing and Construction Corporation, among others.
Other business parks
Luzira Industrial and Business Park located in Nakawa Division in Kampala covers 70 acres with 10 investors, eight of whom are operational. One of the key investors in the Park is Quality Chemicals Ltd sitting on about 15 acres of land.
Bweyogerere Industrial Estate located in Wakiso District covers 50 acres of land and has 10 investors, four of whom are operational; three are under Construction stage while three are doing pre-start phase studies. One of the key investors in the Park is Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) sitting on about 15 acres of land.
