Uganda has 500 registered exporters

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has informed all exporters that with effect from July 1, certificates of origin for purposes of Uganda's exports, will be issued by the URA Customs Department.

All exporters are required to register with the URA international affairs unit at Crested Towers.

The certificate of origin enables exporters benefit from free market access agreements.

Registered exporters with the Uganda Export Promotions Board are about 500, exporting to the seven trade regimes where free market access agreements have been signed.

These are EAC, COMESA, China, India, South Korea, Morocco and Generalised System of Preferences which includes countries such as Japan, USA, Canada, Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, Russia, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and UK. Uganda has a population of 39.03m people. According to the World Bank Uganda has a very high dependency ration and population growth that generates 700,000 new labor market entrants every year.

Dr. Elly Twineyo, executive director Uganda Export Promotion Board said one of the conditions for qualifying products for free market access is a certificate of origin, a documentary evidence required to claim preferential treatment.  

He said for example, the certificates of origin for EAC are issued under the East African Community Customs Union (Rules of Origin) Rules.