Parliament to fast track Local Content Bill - Kadaga

Parliament is to fast track the passing of the local content bill into law so as to protect local manufacturing industries.

This was revealed by the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga while officiating at the closure of the 10th Eastern regional Trade fair, organized by the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) at the Mbale Municipal Stadium.

She said  some provisions of the law were inserted in  petroleum laws which was ignored by members concerned  and yet this should have some restrictions on what should be imported and not.

"We cannot have everything imported; we cannot import beef from Brazil, import tomatoes from South Africa; the Local content law will be used to have our own people benefit," she said.

Patrick Nsamba Member of Parliament for Kasanda North, in February this year, moved a motion and was granted leave of Parliament to introduce a Private Member's Bill titled "The Local Content Bill, 2017".

The bill seeks to provide for the establishment of a national Local Content Committee, maximization of value-addition and job creation using local expertise; goods and services; businesses and financing in all undertakings where public funds are used; or where the undertaking is a licensable activity; the development of local content plans and the supervision, coordination, monitoring and implementation of local content.

Dr. Maggie Kigozi, who represented the Chairperson of UMA, encouraged the consumers of goods and services to promote local industries under the ‘Buy Uganda Build Uganda' (BUBU) initiative.

"When you go to a shop and find foreign and local products, please buy local. BUBU means government will buy from you, local manufacturers and consumers will buy from you too," she added.

The Mbale Municipality MP Jack Wamanga Wamai added that as MPs, they are committed to ensuring that the local manufacturing sector is vibrant and continues to grow.

"As Parliament, we are doing our best to make sure that we have many goods made in Uganda. We are working on tax exemptions for some of the imported raw materials for your industries because we know you pay a lot of taxes," Wamai pledged.