Hotlines launched to enforce new sugar price

The Ministry Of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives has issued hotlines that the public can call to register their complaints about retail outlets that are selling sugar above the miller agreed rate of sh5,000 per kilogram. 

"Over the weekend, we noticed that sugar prices dropped from sh7,000 a kilogram , however, the prices have stagnated at sh6,000," Amelia Kyambadde, the Trade Minister told reporters at the ministry boardroom on Monday. 

Earlier, the minister noted that sugar distributors had pledged not sell sugar above sh5,000 per kilogram.

In order to cut the shortage of sugar, Kakira and Lugazi sugar factories postponed their annual maintenance from June to October 2017. 

The prolonged drought, in addition to a supply gap of 300,000 metric tonnes in Kenya and 40,000 metric tonnes in Rwanda have conspired to create a shortage of sugar in Uganda.  

Kyambadde unveiled the hotlines as 031234100/254 and the SMS code *201#  which have been activated to receive complaints about retailers selling above the recommended price.