Government of uganda has commended the Government of Rwanda and people of Rwanda for their commitment towards the East African brotherhood.
This was disclosed by Hon David Bahati the Minister of state for trade in charge of industry David Bahati while attending the East African SMES trade fare in Rwanda.
The trade fare was organised under the theme
“Advancing regional value chains in leather and horticulture.”
And atttacted a number of exhibitors from different east African member states.
The Minister said the future of our economies will be decided not by the size of our governments, but by the strength of our enterprises.
“MSMEs therefore, are the backbone of Uganda’s economy and the engine of East Africa’s transformation. They create employment, expand production, drive innovation, and lift households into prosperity”he said.
He told exhibitors that Uganda is pursuing a deliberate transformation agenda under National Development Plan IV and the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy.
He called for increased productivity, deepen manufacturing, value addition to our resources, expantion of product access to regional and global markets.
He said uganda is determined to move beyond the creation of enterprises, to the building of competitive industries.
Enterprises that meet standards.
embrace technology, access finance, scale up and export with confidence.
The East African Community is central to this vision. It is not merely a market. It is our collective destiny — a community of over 300 million people, bound by history, geography, and shared aspiration,he said
Infrastructure will bind us together. The Standard Gauge Railway, connecting our Partner States, will transform the economy of our region, lowering the cost of trade, expanding markets, and bringing our producers closer to opportunity.
But integration must be judged by results. By the ease with which a trader in Kabale sells in Kigali. By the speed with which a manufacturer in Jinja reaches Mombasa. By the jobs created in our local communities and cities.
He urged the EAC Secretariat and Partner States to accelerate the removal of the barriers that still constrain regionsl businesses. Let integration be measured not in communiqués, but in commerce.
As we mark the climax of this Fair, I wish to articulate a doctrine for our enterprises:
Quality, because competitiveness begins with standards.
Value addition, because we must no longer export our wealth in raw form.
Branding and packaging, because our products must command respect on any shelf in the world.
Technology, because the future belongs to those who innovate.
Partnership, because no enterprise grows alone.
To our distinguished exhibitors, thank you for your sacrifice and excellence. Continue to produce. Continue to innovate. Continue to carry Uganda high. Let us build a region where enterprise thrives, where integration delivers, and where prosperity is shared.