• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

MILLY BABALANDA: Is Uganda’s private sector ready to plant the mustard seed?

Watchdog Uganda by Watchdog Uganda
3 years ago
in Conversations with, Op-Ed
3 1
Presidency Minister Milly Babalanda

Presidency Minister Milly Babalanda

ShareTweetSendShare

It’s said that the most powerful country in the world, USA, was built by a handful of people-JP Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, Rothschild and Henry Ford. These trailblazers set America on its path to greatness by “sowing the mustard seed” in emerging sectors which they developed to power an economic boom that cemented USA’s position as a global power, overtaking Europe where its founders came from. These initiatives took place in the previous centuries. Just five people built the foundations of the modern US economic system. Who will build Uganda’s?

That question was on my mind early this month as various Chief Executive Officers (C.E.Os) of various business interests attended a 3-day retreat hosted by the Presidential CEO Forum (PCF) at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi. The Presidential CEO Forum deals with private sector issues and represents the Private Sector, Manufacturers and Industrialists working closely with government to reinforce private sector inclusion in developmental matters.
In a number of his speeches, President Yoweri Museveni has emphasised the role of the private sector in spurring national economic development. He has always noted that Government’s role is to provide a conducive environment and establish the necessary social overheads for the private sector to perform and flourish. With Uganda’s fully liberalised economic system and the increasing ease of doing business in place, CEOs and investors (local and foreign) can only lead by example.

At Kyankwanzi, the President highlighted the importance of markets and NRM’s struggle for unification of (economic) blocs such East Africa Community, COMESA, ACFTA and others like AGOA for the US market through AGOA, EU through MBA. When these markets are secured, what do we have to offer? That’s what the retreat was all about and our CEOs are all the wiser for it. The CEOs in attendance were a select few; looking at the economic potential around us, we all need to think as CEOs and rise to the occasion.

Thanks to President Museveni’s foresight and broad business mind, Government has prioritised infrastructure development, power, education, health, security as found, enablers for the business community to operate and satisfy the market-both local and foreign. The Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy will only work if there are sufficient quantities of consumer goods for Ugandans to substitute with imported goods, goods which must be very competitive, of high quality and priced favourably so that Ugandans can appreciate them as the first line consumers before serving other markets.

Quality is paramount while identifying and tying down market. In the case of agricultural produce, Uganda’s comparative advantage is affected by poor quality issues arising from poor farming methods, harvesting, storage and transportation processes. Quality control can make or break market share. Farmers must adopt best practices along the production chain and CEOs should help follow up on assurance to meet requisite standards demanded by consumers.

In industry, as a budding industrial nation, our bargaining chip will hinge a lot on the class of goods we manufacture and how they are served out to the market. Ugandan producers are consistently being encouraged to engage in processing in order to add value to their produce which comes with additional benefits such as creation of jobs and prolongation of the shelf life of the goods. Let us minimise losses and rejection on the market so as not to disappoint the campaign for broader markets.

The traditional mindset that goods produced abroad are better than those produced locally needs to be cured proactively and appropriate branding. The days of exclusive reliance on imported goods are to blame for such (unpatriotic) thinking but that must change now. There is virtually nothing that cannot be produced here if the demand is there; most of the natural resources needed to manufacture anything are available here.

Who said Uganda cannot be used as a springboard for business to the continent? Are our CEOs unable to wake up to the opportunities around us? With closer Government-Private sector interaction, it will be possible to create a powerful lobby that can mobilise a big and sustainable market for local products in the region and drive social-economic transformation that can give our a region a chance to catch up with compete and even overtake the pioneer industrial nations.

Can the existing structure of the Ugandan system support rapid development of the people economically? This is no longer a question of “if” but “when” and the “when” is now. Every Ugandan can find his or her place in the economic equation. Everyone is called to be a producer of something; work, innovate, save, invest, sell! Uganda is a very affordable place to live and prosper. All one has to do is look around them and spot what the people near need to live better and find a way of answering to their needs. That’s how the seed of enterprise is sowed at the very basic level. With a natural environment that makes things sprout almost anywhere, it only takes a will to be rich to become just that. Aside from opportunities abounding in the “backbone” sector of agricultural, Uganda is a participant in the modern sectors of ICT, hospitality, tourism and general service sector. Every Ugandan can become a CEO!

The author is the Minister for Presidency


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Op-Ed

RICHARD BYAMUKAMA: The Legitimacy of South Sudan’s Government Hangs in the Balance

29th June 2025 at 23:59
National

MP Nsereko Vows to Block NUP’s Rubongoya in Kampala Central Race

29th June 2025 at 11:27
John Arthur Kamale
Op-Ed

JOHN ARTHUR KAMALE: The People You Trust – An Open Letter to the President

26th June 2025 at 17:17
Next Post
Tamale Mirundi

NRM 'raped' NUP by stealing its victory in Kayunga- Tamale Mirundi 

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1098 shares
    Share 439 Tweet 275
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2282 shares
    Share 913 Tweet 571
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10
  • Pastor Bugingo Seeks Reconciliation with Teddy and Children, Prays for Makula’s Twins

    18 shares
    Share 7 Tweet 5
  • LIST : Gov’t releases Revised Salary Structure for Teachers, Police, and Prisons Staff for FY 2024/2025

    111 shares
    Share 44 Tweet 28
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

RDC George Owanyi engaging the meeting

Nakapiripirit RDC George Owanyi teams up with Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition to intensify fight against corruption 

30th June 2025 at 09:21

RICHARD BYAMUKAMA: The Legitimacy of South Sudan’s Government Hangs in the Balance

29th June 2025 at 23:59

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is set to speak at business forum in United Kingdom

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0
RDC George Owanyi engaging the meeting

Nakapiripirit RDC George Owanyi teams up with Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition to intensify fight against corruption 

30th June 2025 at 09:21

RICHARD BYAMUKAMA: The Legitimacy of South Sudan’s Government Hangs in the Balance

29th June 2025 at 23:59

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda