SCOUL expected to double production

 

Lately, we have invested in a modern distillery, which has more than doubled the previous ethanol production, utilising environmentally friendly techniques to ensure that Molasses, the bi-product of sugar production is totally consumed in line with the National Environmental Management Authority requirements. 

 

What time or level I took over is not important. What is notable is the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd. The Erstwhile Uganda Sugar factory was the first organisation under the able leadership of the Mehta family to grow sugar cane in Uganda on a commercial basis and produce sugar, about a century ago. Since its inception, the team work spirit has been systematically improving and providing employment opportunities to the people of this great nation.

 

Business, world over, is faced with certain challenges. However, in our case, one of the main challenges is the apparently un-coordinated mush-rooming small sugar mills, which are often being constructed in total disregard to the laid down National Sugar Policy Frame Work.

 

Some of these factories create a likelihood of unfair competition both in the labour and the commodity markets. At the same time, it increases incidences of sugarcane poaching, with serious effects on the already established factories, in particular and the nation at large.Our approach to overcome the same is to  engage in dialogue with all relevant parties and stakeholders involved geared at a symbiotic way of development, which will not threaten food security in the region

 

At Sugar Corporation, we intend to prioritise and sequence our investments in a coordinated and harmonised implementation of development projects in line with the five year National Development Plan. This will be synchronised to suit the National Vision 2040. We plan to achieve this in an organised, equitable, sustainable, effi cient and costeffective development strategy, while providing the much required employment opportunity to the citizens, so as to provide “a pole of growth” in the nation.

 

My advice to persons (organisations) in business and those intending to start is that business should be tailored to suit the environment. It should also provide a pole of growth at its location basing on both micro and macro-economic practices that are in line with the overall national development objectives. This will also be done while providing a reasonable return on the capital employed, with a theme of turning the impossibilities into possibilities. 

 

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The Sugar Corporation of Uganda has put in place a 60 bed hospital, with 11 dispensaries spread within the sugar estate, to provide free medical care to all the employees and their family members and surrounding community. We have three pre-primary, 13 primary schools providing free education to the children of school-going age plus one secondary school, offering highly subsidised education at both O & A levels.

 

We have opened and keep maintaining over 1000km of feeder roads within the districts of Buikwe and Mukono. Our operations are also open to the public in a way of ferrying their farm produce to the markets and accessing health centres.

 

Students also access various schools of their preference. We are assisting about 5,000 interested sugar cane out-growers to grow sugar cane where they are assured of a ready market. We provide them with financial, physical material and technical assistance, as a way of alleviating poverty in the surrounding districts.

 

As one of the group companies of the Mehta Group, we are highly privileged to associate ourselves with other entrepreneurs/ orgarnisations to enhance the development objectives of this great nation.