Museveni Flags Off US Shorts

Dec 22, 2002

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has warned working class Ugandans against creating bad name for the country amongst foreign investors.

By Grace Matsiko
and Stephen Ilungole

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has warned working class Ugandans against creating bad name for the country amongst foreign investors.
Flagging-off 50,000 pieces of men’s shorts worth $200,000 made by the Tri-Star Apparels Uganda Limited at their Bugolobi factory Saturday, Museveni said an indisciplined workforce can lead to investors blacklisting a country. The shorts fall under the AGOA initiative which allows 34 African countries to export to the US duty/quota free.
Museveni said, “You are on the frontline of proving industrial discipline. Don’t disrupt production, because if you do, these investors will reject us (Uganda).” He was addressing about 1200 young women employed at the factory.
A jovial Museveni also cautioned them to drop the village practices, which he said, encourage working in small groups.
“You need to develop greater industrial discipline, so that you can help develop your country,” Museveni said.
Trade and industry minister, Prof. Edward Rugumayo, Tri-Star Group chairman, Kumar Dewapura and Managing Director Vellupillai Kananathan and senior government official attended the flag off ceremony.
Museveni told invited guests, who included US Ambassador, Jimmy Kolker, that he didn’t like second-hand clothes, locally known as mivumba, because of the less benefits they bring to the country.
He said Mivumba brings in little tax revenue, doesn’t create market for local cotton and creates marginal employment.
“It is not worth it. We want more of these units, because they create more jobs, bring in more tax revenue and create market for our cotton,” Museveni said.
Fernando Pemnath, who represented the buyer of the shorts said Ugandan textiles were better than that of Kenya.
“We plan to purchase upto half a million pieces,” Fernando said.
Dewapura said Government and the people of Uganda should fully support the venture, because they plan to make it the biggest in Africa.Ends

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