UN trade agency starts new links

TWENTY three local firms have qualified for the Business Linkage Programme, being organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

TWENTY three local firms have qualified for the Business Linkage Programme, being organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), reports Ricks Kayizzi.

Simon Joerg, UNCTAD’s chief investment policy reviewer, said the programme is bent on exploring potential business opportunities which foreign investors could offer local enterprises. He however didn’t mention the firms.

“In a survey we conducted recently in Uganda, we discovered that there is a missing link between transnational companies, large local enterprises and small and medium scale enterprises (SME’s),” he said in mid-week.

“Once bridged, this gap can boost economic growth, and pull the whole economy out of the persistent slumber.”

He said that the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and Enterprise Uganda will be responsible for co-ordinating and implementing the programme.

UNCTAD recently trained about 12 entrepreneurs in a three-day workshop held at the Enterprise Uganda offices in Nakasero. Enterprise Uganda has been pushing for more help for small industries.

Joerg said UNCTAD, together with the Department for International Development (DFID), the aid arm of the British government, have already committed $450,000 for the core budget required to deliver the 23 linkages.