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MP Abigaba roots for investment in the manufacturing of eco-friendly paper bags to replace ‘Kaveera’
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Government has been urged to invest in the manufacturing of eco-friendly paper bags made from banana stems. The eco-friendly paper bags will help waste disposal by households as Uganda moves to implement the ban on polythene bags, called locally “Kaveera”.
Kibaale Member of Parliament (MP) Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba made the call at the launch of a pilot paper processing plant at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) Nakawa last week.
Abigaba indicated that the government needs to further support the establishment of new factories and conversion of existing ones to manufacture the eco-friendly bags.
“We have been having a challenge of “Kaveera” which was banned but the implementation failed, Now with the coming of such a project, it will be easy since these companies utilize locally available eco-friendly materials like banana stems,” he said.
Abigaba explained that this will not only provide thousands of jobs for Uganda youths, but also give farmers an opportunity for value addition since Uganda is the second largest producer of bananas in the word after India.
In 2009, the Minister of Finance announced a total importation, manufacture and use of polythene bags of less than 30 microns.
Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, who was the chief guest, said that she was impressed with the work and innovations the Institute had come up with over time.
“My last visit here was five years ago and I must say I’m impressed. Parliament will celebrate this by inviting you to come and talk about your work,” she said, adding that “When I looked at the banana stems, I imagined how much money we can get from making paper from all the stems in the country. It is remarkable to see the use of various organic raw materials to process paper which we as a country have in plenty.”
Kadaga said it is because of the need to spur innovations in the country that Parliament made a resolution to have the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
