UGACOF scoops top Presidential exporters' award

UGACOF has been named the Exporter of the Year in the 2018 annual Presidential Exporters Awards held on Thursday at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.

The annual awards aim at reorganising companies and individuals who have engaged and excelled in exporting and earning the country foreign revenue.

The overall winner 2018 UGACOF exporters of coffee walked away with the Platinum Award. Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd came second and was awarded a Gold Award.

At least 50 companies were evaluated by the Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB) and the Ministry of Trade.

The companies were assessed based on export performance, contribution towards Uganda's socio-economic development, product diversification and corporate social responsibility.

Categories included Service export, agribusiness, manufacturing, fish and fish products, precious stones and minerals and the overall winner.

Among the night's other big winners in the gold category were; Data Care, Olam Uganda, Pearl Dairy Farm, Mukwano Industries, Roofings Rolling Mills, Graphic Systems Uganda, Lake Bounty Ltd, and African Gold Refinery Ltd.

President Yoweri Museveni who was represented by the Vice President Edward Ssekandi at the awards ceremony applauded companies involved in the exports sector for fostering development.

"World over there is no country that has developed its economy depending on imports. I'm glad that Ugandans are waking up to this reality and stepping up on exporting more," Museveni said.

He noted that Uganda needs to focus on industrialisation and manufacturing and give priority to consuming locally made products.

"We need to industrialise and manufacture in Uganda to improve Uganda's capacity to export. We already have quality products like tiles from Kapeeka which are doing good," Museveni said.

He commended the exporting companies for the efforts they are doing which he said will help Uganda graduate to middle-income status.

He appealed to the businesses to double their efforts especially now that government is investing in creating a more enabling environment.

Elly Twineyo Kamugisha, the UEPB executive director lauded government for putting in place an enabling environment that has permitted businesses to run.

"Government has constructed roads which have helped good reach their destination. The peace and stability are also good for business and trade," Kamugisha says.

He explains that Uganda's exports have grown from $460m in 1994 to $3.6b in 2018. The most important exports are coffee (22 per cent of total exports) followed by tea, cotton, copper, oil and fish.

"We need to do export-led production, establish border markets so that buyers can easily pick products from the borders," Kamugisha says.

Nimrod Waniala the UEBP board chairman called for the establishment of the exports fund.

Winners per category

Service Exporter of the Year

Data Care

Agribusiness (Traditional Exports)

1. Olam Uganda Ltd

2. McLeod Russel

Agribusiness (Nontraditional exporter)

1. Esco Uganda Ltd

2. Wagagai Ltd

Manufacturer (Agro-processing)

1. Pearl Dairy Farms

2. Sugar Company of Uganda Ltd

Manufacturing (Chemical and allied products)

1. Mukwano Industries

2. Movit Products

Manufacturing (Construction materials)

1. Roofings Rolling Mills

2. Hima Cement

Manufacturing (others)

1. Graphic Systems Uganda

2. East African Packaging Solutions

Fish & Fish Products

1. Lake Bounty Ltd

2. Karmic Foods

Precious Stones & Minerals

Africa Gold Refinery Ltd

Regional Exporters of the Year

Jambo Tannery (East)

Guru Nanak Mills (North)

Aqua Perch Ltd (West)