Uganda, DR Congo organise business forum to boost trade

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In a bid to increase the volume and value of trade between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda's mission in Kinshasa, partnering with public and private sector stakeholders in both countries, organised a Business Connect Forum and Expo in Butembo, eastern DRC, over the weekend.

Under the theme “Strengthening Business Linkages for Socio-economic transformation,” the Business Forum (October 17-18) aimed at connecting businesses in both countries for mutually beneficial growth in trade and commerce.

Butembo is the second-largest city in North Kivu Province, with a sizable population of businesses that have links to as far as Kinshasa. Uganda’s strategic location makes it a crucial gateway into and out of eastern DRC.

During this event, senior representatives of the two countries discussed the existing barriers to trade and finding workable solutions to speedily create a sustainable enabling environment for business to flourish.

DRC's Julien Paluku, the Minister of External Trade, Evariste Somo Kakule, Governor of North Kivu Province, and Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa, Mayor of Butembo city, were among the dignitaries at the two-day expo.

The Ugandan delegation to the Forum included Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Minister of State for Trade, Ambassador Alhajji Farid M. Kaliisa, Uganda’s Ambassador to Kinshasa, plus senior officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

Participants from Kampala also included representatives from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), and members of the business community.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday reported that the Butebo Business Forum and Expo attracted over 50 business enterprises in various product lines.

It was a platform for exhibitors from Uganda to network with the DRC business community, especially from Beni, Butembo, Kisangani, Goma and Bukavu.

Made-in-Uganda products showcased included Agro-products, poultry and dairy, Agro-farm inputs, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, apparels and various construction materials.

The expo is one of the efforts to transform cross-border trade into a pathway for peace and economic growth.

Currently, Uganda and DRC are implementing the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Program with support from the European Union and Trademark Africa (TMA).

The program seeks to promote regional integration, empower small-scale traders, and ensure the free movement of people and goods between the two countries.

The two countries are also jointly implementing the construction of key roads viewed as having mutual economic benefit.

The roads include Mpondwe/Kasindi-Beni (80km), Beni-Butembo (54km) and Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma road (89km).

 According to the MoFA release, the road projects have opened accessibility of Ugandan products in several cities in eastern DRC. Once completed, the roads will reduce the cost of doing business and create enormous opportunities for the people of both countries.

Latest reports also indicate that the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC increased from US$432.4 million in 2016/17 to US$981.5 million in 2024/25.

Similarly, DRC exports to Uganda have increased from US$23 billion in 2020 to US$59.8 billion in 2024. This upward trajectory is attributed to improvement in the security environment, commencement of improvement in transport infrastructure, as well as the opening up of the DRC market following entry into the East African Community.

According to Ambassador Kaliisa, the various strategies being implemented have the potential to boost the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC to US$2 billion in the next few years.

At the opening of the Business Forum on Friday, different leaders emphasised the role of sustainable peace and security, noting that trade can only thrive in a transparent, predictable and free environment.

They also decried the existing Non-Tariff Barriers to trade, including prohibitive administrative practices and discriminatory tax tendencies that discourage seamless trade across borders.