The Special Envoy For Special Duties, in the Office of the President, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, has asked private sector players and entrepreneurs from Burundi and Uganda to always focus on improving trade relations between two countries as a way of enhancing trade and investment relations.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Uganda Embassy Bujumbura Chancery building on Monday in Burundi, the former Prime Minister noted there is a need to enhance trade between Uganda and Burundi since the volume of trade between the two countries has always remained low with Uganda exporting goods worth US$64.99million and importing goods worth US$25.46milion from Burundi.
“Yesterday, unlike on previous occasions, I flew here directly from Entebbe by Uganda Airlines. I am also informed that this Airline plies the Entebbe-Bujumbura route four times a week and is set to increase this frequency to six times a week at the end of this month. This is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to addressing the barriers to trade, through the provision of direct connectivity and ultimately, cutting down the costs of doing business,” he said.
Dr Rugunda added that business communities from the two countries must join hands and take advantage of the strong foundation of bilateral relations, the goodwill of the leaders and the conducive and enabling environment existing in both countries, to grow trade and investments.
“I am also glad that the Uganda – Burundi Business Forum will be taking place on Wednesday, 21st March 2022, here in Bujumbura. I call on the business people to utilize this opportunity to establish new partnerships for the mutual benefit of our two countries.”
He encouraged the two respective sides to use the new Chancery building to agree on trade frameworks that can improve trade relations between the two countries as the most practical roadmap towards promoting the much-desired socio-economic transformation of citizens from both countries, promoting sustainable people to people relationships beyond government; and to increase household incomes and livelihood of citizens from both countries.
“I implore the Uganda Embassy staff to maximally utilize this building to show value for money through promoting trade and business between Uganda and Burundi, enhance people-to-people as well as government-to-government contacts for the mutual benefit of both countries. Moving forward, the clientele should attest to a better experience as you implement your mandate.”
Dr Rugunda affirmed that the construction of Uganda’s Chancery building in Bujumbura is yet another landmark in the consolidation of relations between two sisterly countries. He also thanked the government of the Republic of Burundi for their foresight and facilitation of the process through the allocation of valuable and strategically located land in Kiyange Village, Buterere Zone, Ntahangwa Commune, Bujumbura City, which is approximately 3.25 acres (11,037 Square meters) to the Republic of Uganda to construct this Embassy premise.
“I also thank our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Uganda Embassy Bujumbura team for seizing this opportunity granted by the Republic of Burundi to implement the construction of this magnificent three-storeyed building to house our Chancery.”
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