Kinshasa to host the 2nd edition of the Uganda-DRC business forum

Kampala, Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa | Ugandan Embassy in Kinshasa and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will host a joint Business Forum from March 22-24 aimed at building foundations that will lead to bolstering bilateral trade between Kampala and the DRC.

The Joint Business Forum will present opportunities for increased collaboration between the DRC and Uganda, with presentations and panel sessions that will include the Ugandan private and public sector organisations trading with DRC’s growing sectors.

According to organisers, the much-anticipated second edition of the forum will be hosted under the theme: Deepening Bilateral Trade, Partnerships, Knowledge Transfer for Mutual Peace and Prosperity”.

The other areas of the forum’s focus will include promoting trade between the two countries through sharing information on improved trade facilitation, enhanced trade in goods and services as well as investment opportunities.

The forum will offer a platform for sharing the rich business potential that exists between the two neighbouring countries and exploring ways of economically leveraging from the cordial bilateral relations that have been heightened by continuous engagements at the highest level.

The political will is thriving, championed by Excellencies, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, the President of Uganda and DRC respectively, whose vision is to transform the region into an economic zone.

The Forum will gather some 150 participants consisting of businesspeople from Uganda and their DRC counterparts, government officials of both countries, and key business stakeholders from the two countries.

“I love Uganda and make frequent trips to Kampala. I have been to Kabale, Arua and I love the cool breeze in Entebbe. I enjoy the fresh fish from Lake Victoria, says His Lordship Gentiny Ngobila, the Governor of the City-Province of Kinshasa.

In a meeting with Dr Namutebi Edith Nsubuga, the Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Uganda in Kinshasa, His Lordship Gentiny Ngobila reiterated that the Forum is timely and the environment is conducive.

“It is time to break the barriers and fast-track trade links among ourselves; it is high time for our private sectors to harness and unlock the full potential of the existing business opportunities,” she said.

“A city-to-city cooperation is also timely. I will personally grace the forum and look forward to seeing the Uganda Business Community in Kinshasa, Bienvenue,” she added.

Uganda and the DRC have supportive frame works that can allow commerce to flourish between the two countries including commissioning of the joint infrastructure project that links the two countries, the Bilateral Air Services Agreement that permits Uganda Airlines and Eagle Air to fly to Kinshasa.

Other mechanisms include DRC’s ascension to the EAC, COMESA Free Trade Area which both countries have ratified, the Tripartite Free Trade area between COMESA – EAC – SADC.

At a bilateral level, both two countries have an established Joint Permanent Commission and Joint Ministerial Commission among other areas of bilateral cooperation.

Uganda has a comparative advantage in agriculture and one of the largest oil reserves in the region while DRC possesses one of the largest natural resource deposits on earth.