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SOROTI - The people of Teso sub-region have welcomed the movers of the proposed Anti-Counterfeits Bill 2023, who are currently moving from one region to another seeking views ahead of tabling the legislation in Parliament.

The private member's bill was moved by Bugiri municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa and Soroti West MP Jonathan Ebwalu, the seconder of the bill.

The bill according to MP Ebwalu aims at prohibiting the making, distribution, and sale of counterfeits in the country.

While consulting different communities in Teso on Wednesday (April 24, 2024) afternoon in Soroti City, Ebwalu explained that Uganda is highly affected by counterfeits.

The people told MP Ebwalu that the bill is good and will save them from counterfeits.

“We want to prohibit the leveling, packaging, and any form of counterfeits. We want to ensure that they will not reach our market,” Ebwalu said.

The people of Teso who comprised local, cultural, and religious leaders welcomed the proposed bill with some proposing life imprisonment for those dealing in counterfeits.

“The punishment you have proposed of ten years is not commensurate with the damage it causes to humankind. Life imprisonment would be the best punishment,” said Joseph Ochung.

According to the draft law, any person who aids, abets, and conspires in the commission of any offence under section 12 (1) commits an offence and is liable, on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or a fine not exceeding five times the value of the prevailing retail price of the genuine good or service.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) latest report indicates that more than half of the manufactured goods on the market now are substandard.

With the proposed law in place, Fred Muwema, the chairman of Anti-Counterfeits Network believes that Uganda will be relieved from that burden.

“I still do not believe with the UNBS statistics of 58% of our goods in the market being substandard, it might be more and so we need a tough law to save us,” Muwema said.

Caroline Akello said that the ten years that the bill proposed was appropriate, but her fears were about implementers.

“We are known for having good laws but the challenge, they are not being enforced. Even if they enforce it, it will be targeting the less privileged, not the well-connected people,” Akello said.

Paul Omer, the mayor Soroti City East, shared the same sentiments with Akello arguing that once the bill is passed into law it will be in the country’s record but not being exercised.

“Who accredits the manufacturers of counterfeits? It’s easy to bring the law but to have the law work is where we shall have the challenge otherwise for me the bill is the best for everyone in Uganda,” Omer said.