Business

By Joshua Masinde 7th phone firm promises cheaper calls Ugandans have a reason to smile. They have a seventh telecommunications operator to choose from. Aptly called Smile, the new company which launched operations last week promises cheaper call rates. Smile CEO, Irene Charnley said its target is the segment of …

By Patrick Kagenda Bank of Uganda last week issued a Shs 60 billion 10 year bond and will issue another bond of a similar magnitude at the beginning of December. The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda talked to Stephen Kaboyo the director Financial Markets Department at the central bank. What financial instruments …

By Joshua Masinde Essar had earlier paid US$ 3 million in licence fees to receive Uganda’s sixth mobile licence Warid Uganda could have been sold by the end of the week if everything went according to plan. Essar Group, one of the largest Telecommunication industries in India is the intending …

By Independent Team MTN’s Average Revenue per User (ARPU) which describes how much money each subscriber spends on average on the network has declined, according to its latest figures. Following on a pattern set in the past, Ugandans have continued to spend less on phone calls as they make shorter …

By The Independent Reporters Paul Wade, World Bank Senior Economist and Chair of the Joint Budget Support Framework Task Force explains how the newly agreed Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) works. What challenges is the Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) addressing? The JAF is a tool for helping the government of Uganda …

By Patrick Kagenda The Eastern and Southern African Trade Development Bank (PTA Bank) announcement this month that it had raised Shs 8.5 billion of its Shs 40 billion corporate bond has focused fresh attention on Uganda’s capital market. At the launch of the Shs 8.5 bond on the Uganda Securities …

By Patrick Kagenda The PTA bank last week raised Shs 8.5 Bn in the first tranche of its Shs 40Bn bond issued on the Ugandan market. Dr. Michael Gondwe, the PTA bank president explains its strategy. How do you rate the performance of your bond? The bond took quite a …

By Patrick Kagenda Two months after the ministry of Health recommended a ban on production, sell, and consumption of alcohol packed in sachets allegedly because it had killed 18 people, the measure remains controversial in parliament, Cabinet, and the public. The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda talked to the Uganda National Bureau …

By Amon B. Mbekiza Parliament is in a tag-of war with the Foreign Affairs Ministry over Shs 17 billion the ministry needs to build a market for Uganda traders in Juba, Southern Sudan. Whatever reasons parliament has, this money should not be passed. For starters, this is the wrong ministry …

By Patrick Kagenda Buoyed by returning off-shore investors especially in the oil sector, increased remittances from Ugandans working abroad, and inflows from exports, the shilling has appreciated 25% against the dollar over a six months ending October 31. Globally the dollar has seen some depreciation lately, against other currencies. It …