Masaka offers 600 acres to Chinese investors

By Dismus Buregyeya       

MASAKA District Local Government has offered a total of 640 acres of land at Bukakata sub-county in Masaka district to the Chinese Investors for Industrial development.

The district leaders from Greater Masaka Region signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a Chinese delegation from Yibin City in China at a colorful ceremony held at Zebra Hotel in Masaka Town.

The district local governments will officially handover the industrial park land on June 18 at a ceremony where President Museveni will be the chief guest.

The Deputy Party Secretary the Yibin City Committee Kyu xia Oli ,the Masaka district Council Chairman, Joseph Kalungi,the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire and the Chinese Ambassador, Zhao Yali and the State Minister for Trade signed the MOU.

The China-Africa Friendship Chapter in Uganda (CAFAU), Eng Benon Mugalura said the CAFAU has also identified another 10,000sq miles land ready for leasing to the Chinese investors.

 “We are providing land for our Chinese friends to provide the technologies and industries, we want a win-win situation under this partnership,” he said.

He said at least 128 factories can be set up under the land provided for industrial development in Masaka and other regions.

The Masaka district Production coordinator Dr Joseph Mayega said under the partnership, they expect to set up pineapple and passion fruit processing factories, solar energy technologies, large scale fish farming, diary and agro-business ventures.

He said they also expect to benefit from the small and large scale irrigation technologies, agro-finance and banking institutions, coffee value chains and organic fertilizers development.

The Agriculture Minister Trace Bucyanayandi supported the initiative to provide land for investment.  He said government has agreed to provide a tax waver for technology and equipment meant imported for industrial development under the partnership.

He said Masaka is a strategic agro-industrial area with access routes to Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said Uganda has capacity to produce 2 billion liters of milk annually which requires a processing plant to turn it into powdered milk.  He said the improvement in coffee production will benefit the China-Uganda business partnership.

Bucyanayandi said the Masaka pineapple juice factory will be revived under the partnership. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire said government has plans to support district local government economies by attracting investors.

“We must transform our rural people from peasantry economy to better; Greater Masaka district should embrace the twinning program with the China,” he said.

The China Ambassador, Zhao commended the Vice President Edward Ssekandi for his efforts to ensure the China-Uganda friendship progresses.  He said the relations will help the government to realize its 2040 strategic plan.

The Chinese delegation visited the Kamenyamiggo NARO center in Lwengo district where the locals organized the agriculture exhibition.

The team also visited Masaka district new headquarter site.