Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna has revealed that there are high government officials who engage in illicit trade something he say affects government earnings and thus undermining overall development in country.
The Minister made the revelation while announcing Uganda’s hosting of the forthcoming East African Community (EAC) annual regional Industrial Conference at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala today.
According to the Minister, there are people in the corridors of power who are engaging in smuggling of goods into our country, which he said affects our balance of payment position thus negatively affecting the economy.
“ There a few elements who are smuggling rice from Tanzania in pretense its manufactured there while evading tax, we will not accept this and we are mandated to fight it,’’ Minister Sanjay vowed.
“Uganda’s rice production remained stagnant despite increase in demand due to the ever rising population. Government is mitigating this by encouraging massive production and value addition for instance Kibimba and Lukaya plantations who are harvesting every are doing the country a great deal so we have to protect them by discouraging heavy importation,’’ he said.
He also said that there were trucks full of rice from Tanzania two weeks ago that were initially denied entry but he used moratoria power and allowed them to enter the country on condition that the rice being imported will first be subjected to a test by NARO to ascertain whether its produced in Tanzania as importers purportedly say then it will be released.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda Steven Asiimwe said that the 3rd Annual Regional Industrialization Conference will take place on 18th to 19th August,2026 at Munyonyo Imperial Resort.
According to Asiimwe, it will attract participants from 10 East African Community member States who will discuss ways of fostering the trade regions amongst such countries.
“We shall dialogue on how best the regional block can champion investments in the various sectors, joint ventures and challenges with different governments as well as the necessary mitigations, ” Asiimwe explained.
He also said there will be exhibitions and trade fair for the different producers of products and technologies in value chain, Agro- processors, pharmaceutical and leather and textile dealers among others.
The Minister called upon the business community to support the conference because they will also benefit through marketing opportunities for their products apart from airing out the challenges they face.
