Trade expo at Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park showcases locally made products

MBALE, Uganda | Xinhua | Hundreds of local customers thronged the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park on Friday in the eastern Ugandan town of Mbale to purchase a wide range of bargains at a carnival-like trade expo aimed at promoting locally manufactured products.

Over 50 Chinese and Ugandan companies, including park-based enterprises and local ones, exhibited their products at the trade expo under the theme “Buy Uganda, Build Uganda,” a government policy aimed at promoting import substitution.

Michael Kanut, one of the visitors, told Xinhua that he was amazed to see that electronics such as television sets, percolators and LED lights were assembled in the country.

Launched in 2018 in Mbale city, close to the border with neighboring Kenya, Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park is one of the Chinese-invested industrial parks expected to boost the country’s industrialization efforts.

Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo, who opened the two-day trade show on Friday, said the exhibition is a testament to the success of the country’s policy of promoting industrialization to reduce the import bill.

“Mbale Industrial Park is a success story of Uganda’s industrialization agenda. Each of the 50 factories here, producing various products including textiles and steel, and creating over 6,000 jobs, is a testament to the economic progress our country is making,” Alupo said.

“Some of the products from this industrial park are exported to neighboring Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, supporting our policy of export promotion and import substitution,” she added.

Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives David Bahati described the fair as a celebration of the country’s industrialization progress, saying that Uganda now has 8,000 industries, compared to the 83 factories in 1983.

“Today, we are celebrating not just an exhibition but also industrialization and import substitution. Our policy is working, and we will encourage investors to use local raw materials,” Bahati said.

Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor in Uganda Wang Jianxun praised Uganda for creating a conducive environment for Chinese businesses. “We encourage more Chinese investors to come to Uganda and contribute to the country’s social and economic development,” Wang said, noting that their investment is a sign of the deepening China-Uganda relations. ■