Uganda needs policies that support trade and industrialisation, a minister has said.

“We can do this by advocating for policies that are conducive to investment promotion, trade, and industrialisation,” David Bahati, the state minister for industries at the ministry of trade, industry, and cooperatives said.

Bahati said this while closing the meeting of MPs who are members of the Parliamentary Forum on East African Community Affairs on Thursday. The function took place at Parliament.

“Parliamentarians have a key role to play in this,” Bahati said.

Bahati shared that industrialisation and regional integration are a must for Africa’s prosperity, a key to wealth creation, job creation, and supporting livelihoods of Ugandans.

The forum was an opportunity to deepen integration and get people to understand the value of East Africa.

He noted that creating wealth and prosperity for the people was one way of ensuring that sustainable peace and unity is built in the region.

He explained that people who trade and those who produce goods and products often have no reason to quarrel.

“So poverty alleviation and getting the 39 percent of our people who are still out of the money economy should be a key priority of this forum,” Bahati said.

He called for efforts aimed at making sure that the spirit of integration and EAC delivers meaning to the ordinary Ugandan