Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Time is running out first for Uganda to put in place compliance measures with the new European Union regulations against deforestation during coffee production. The EU Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) direct that imports (of about 600 commodities) should bear fruit that they have not been produced …
Read More »Uganda’s trade amidst changing global trends
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several African countries are on the way to being declared middle-income economies, with the declaration of some coming sooner than Uganda’s, amidst major disruptions in global trade. These disruptions include the reorganization of trade routes and partnerships due to the geopolitical situations in Eastern Europe, …
Read More »Balancing climate financing and taming rising debt, gov’t dilemma
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Amidst global calls on governments to increase funding for climate activities, Uganda is torn between allocating more of her resources to the cause and keeping the national debt levels in check. According to Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions as updated, in fulfilment of Article 4 of …
Read More »CSOs call for organic food laws, ban on herbicides
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Civil Society in Uganda has called on the government to immediately ban the use of agrochemicals that have been identified as harmful to human and animal life, or banned in other countries. These include glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides like Roundup, Rodeo Aquatic Herbicide, and …
Read More »Experts call for an end to non-tariff barriers, tax exemptions
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Revenue Authority must collect 2 trillion shillings in less than 10 days left to the end of the financial year, but the tax body is worried of emerging cross-border conflicts between neighbors. This is one of the challenges that the East African countries are …
Read More »Coffee farmers push for better prices and policies
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Coffee farmers now have a new opportunity to increase production and benefit across the value chain, thanks to a new project fronted by the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI). The project dubbed fair-for-all, improving coffee value chains in Uganda seeks to …
Read More »Incorporate business and human rights into national investment legal frameworks, government told
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda needs to incorporate guiding principles on business and human rights into the national investment regulatory frameworks to strike balance between the investor rights and the state, according to Jane Nalunga, the Executive Director at the Southern and Eastern African Trade Institute –SEATINI Uganda. Nalunga, who …
Read More »Go slow on IMF financing, gov’t tells civil society
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The recent allocation of special drawing rights by the International Monetary Fund to its members has triggered fears of misuse, since the resource had been described as free, and not a loan. Special Drawing Rights are an international reserve asset, created by the IMF to …
Read More »Uganda has registered slow progress in mineral-based linkages
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has registered slow progress in the mineral-based linkages due to the relatively small market for mining inputs and mineral products, preliminary findings of a study shows. The study also shows that the absence of license requirements for value chain development in the Mining Act …
Read More »SEATINI suggests ways of improving Uganda-Kenya trade relations
Kampala,, Uganda | Julius Businge | As players in maize trading between Uganda and Kenya workout modalities for improving trade relations, questions remain on whether authorities can walk-the talk. On March 11, Kenya announced the lifting of a ban on imports of maize grain from Uganda and Tanzania with strict …
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