UIA to create one million jobs in next five years

Uganda Investments Authority (UIA) plans to create one million new jobs over the next five years through its new strategic plan that seeks to stimulate local and foreign investments.

Eng. Dr. Frank Sebbowa, the Executive Director of UIA unveiled the plans during the Investment Opportunities and Networking Conference in Kampala.

The plans, according to Sebbowa, are contained in the investment promotion agencies' Strategic Plan 2016/2021.

"This strategy focuses on better investment generation from within Uganda while upping the foreign drive for investment. Overall, the Strategy of UIA is to support investors in a bid to create one million new jobs over the next five years. It proposes a lean but very efficient and better facilitated work force at UIA which will always be focused on investors; domestic and foreign," Sebbowa said.

In a speech that traced the history of the Authority, challenges, achievements and future plans, Sebbowa noted that UIA created 798,302 licensed jobs through 6,206 licensed projects between 1991 and 2015.

Reacting to how feasible it is for UIA to create these many jobs, The National Organisation of Trade Union Boss Usher Wilson Owere said his main complaint has been with the Authority which he feels has been in existence for so long yet no one has felt its presence.

"I recently attacked UIA during the labour day celebrations demanding for jobs.  They are speaking of a policy but we want them to engage Ministries like Gender, Labour and Social Development and Public Service and even Workers Unions to implement this strategy," Owere said in a telephone interview, adding that much as they are champions, they lack the idea.

Owere urged the Authority to walk the talk and not to stop at issuing statements.