Uganda to open trade centre in South Sudan Juba

April 8, 2007 (KAMPALA) — Uganda plans to open a trade centre in Juba to promote exportation of national products to southern Sudan, the Kampala based New Vision reported.

The centre will be used by the Ugandan traders to exhibit their goods and meet clients, Florence Kata, the head of the Uganda Export Promotion Board, said. She said plans were also underway to construct the Uganda export training and skills development centre in Juba.

Kata explained that the centre would house trade information, laboratories for quality management, value addition and packaging technologies, business match-making and a trade point.
She was speaking during a legislators’ workshop at the Grand Imperial Hotel, Kampala.

Kata’s disclosure was prompted by a question by the Tororo county Member of Parliament, Geoffrey Ekanya, on what the country was doing to improve intra-trade in the region.

“What are you doing about Sudan.
“Kenya has built a road to Juba and constructed warehouses for the Kenyan traders.

“What are we doing to promote intra-trade in the region?,” Ekanya asked.
In response, Kata said: “The southern Sudan government is willing to allocate Uganda a piece of land to construct a trade centre.

“We are working out modalities on how the Government should proceed with this offer.”

Kata added that the development follows a series of meetings with the southern Sudan business delegations, who requested to be linked with the local traders.

She asked the legislators to support her to lobby for an increase in the funding given to the export body. “I only receive sh38m per month for salaries, rent, fuel, vehicle repairs and office expenses.

“In total, I get only sh458m per year. That is insufficient since it lacks the development component,” Kata explained.

(New Vision)