By David Mugabe
Uganda will host a key energy and infrastructure summit next week, to explore private sector involvement. Kelly Mactavish, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Uganda, says the February 22 meeting will bring together service providers and financiers who should help build the broken down infrastructure through private sector involvement.
The chamber is hosting the summit. The discovery of commercially viable oil deposits and mineral deposits have seen Uganda’s reputation as an extractive industry hub slowly grow.
The industry is also expected to create multiple supply value chains which will have huge spin offs for the country’s economy. Mactavish, also a private tour and travel operator, said Uganda is ready to cash in on its natural and human capital resource, especially the unique offering of tourism that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
“This summit is timely in furthering the opportunities Uganda has. Let us embrace it,” Mactavish said, while announcing the summit.
Businessman Patrick Bitature will make the key note address at the conference. Susan Muhwezi, the head of the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) mission in Uganda, said poor infrastructure is one of the factors that have curtailed local enterprises from fully exploiting the opportunities under AGOA.
“There are fantastic products that one can take to the US, including crafts,” said Muhwezi.
The summit, under the theme Investment Opportunities in Energy and Infrastructure in Uganda, is supported by Uganda Investment Authority and Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
Sheraton Hotel general manager Chris Pollard said the energy revolution has seen global hotel brands turn their focus to this part of the world following the knock on effect the sector has brought.
Key sectors that the Government and private sector will focus on will be power, renewable energy, infrastructure, oil and gas business.
