The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) will open a liaison office in Jinja City to engage with entrepreneurs, especially women and bring services closer to them.
This was revealed on Sunday by the Vice Chairperson of PSFU, Sarah Kagingo, while closing Season 3 of the PSFU Women’s Day Katale 2024 at Dam Waters Rugby Grounds in Jinja City.
According to Kagingo, PSFU hosted the Busoga business community at a cocktail in Jinja City to network and discuss business on the second day of the Katale.
“We will partner with the Uganda Manufacturers Association to open a liaison office here in Jinja city to continue engaging entrepreneurs,” she said.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Rt Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, who was the guest of honour, welcomed the idea saying it would help reduce the burden undertaken by businesspeople who travel all the way from Jinja to Kampala for such services.
“I’m glad that PSFU is thinking of opening up an office here. People have been boarding taxis from Jinja to go to Kampala to consult with PSFU but now the services will be brought closer to you,” she noted.
Kadaga also appreciated PSFU for marking International Women’s Day in the Busoga region.
She also commended the Public Sector Foundation Uganda for the good it is doing in the region and beyond, in line with empowering the young people especially women to create their own jobs and bring about impact.
She further urged them to intervene and help women who are doing cross-border trade where they face a number of challenges.
Successful season
On her part, Kagingo thanked Busoga Kingdom for supporting PSFU in putting the women’s Katale together.
“We express our gratitude to Obwakyabazinga bwa Busoga for the support they have extended to us. The 2nd Deputy Prime Minister, Owek. Al-Hajj Osman Ahmed Noor has lent us two days of his time during which he represented Her Royal Highness the Inhebantu, Jovia Mutesi, as Chief Guest,” she said.
She also lauded the strategic partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Young Africa Works, aimed at creating 30 million dignified and fulfilling work for youth, especially young women, before 2030.
“We have cumulatively, since 2020, created 416,000 direct and indirect jobs under the innovative Lead Firm Structure (LFS). We had over 500 products made by SMEs certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. Without certification, products cannot penetrate regional markets, the African Continental Free Trade Area of a billion people, neither can they access Ugandan supermarkets.”
She said PSFU held its first Women’s Katale in 2022 in Luweero and last year’s, at UMA showgrounds in Kampala.
“This year, we are pleased to celebrate women entrepreneurs in Jinja City, a tourism hub that offers numerous business opportunities. The Katale has attracted over 200 exhibitors, and business clinics which featured young women founders and innovators.”
According to her, the exhibitors got the opportunity to interface with PSFU and its offerings during the three-day Katale.
“We are delighted to host the Kreative Village where we have spent an awesome afternoon today at a fashion case and a panel of fashion industry leaders have shared knowledge in skilling young creatives, and how they would like to be supported to scale their businesses. From fashion, and music to content creation, the creatives have shared their journey and remarkable stories in a bid to inspire other young people.”
She said the GROW Project funded by the World Bank and which PSFU is co-implementing with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, is aimed at scaling women’s businesses.
“The project also offers credit lines which we have capped at a 10% interest rate.”
Kagingo revealed PSFU’s support for tourism in Jinja and Busoga at large.
“Over the years, we have supported the revamp of Source of Nile, construction of Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI), Kagulu rock and Best out of Busoga publication.”
Kagingo used the opportunity to welcome the new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Ms Nwanne Vwede-Obahor, to the Pearl of Africa and to extend PSFU’s gratitude to UNDP for the invaluable support to the private sector.
“Excellency, we value the PSFU and UNDP partnership to engender the workplace. Last year, 90 companies qualified for the Gender Equality Seal.”
She added, “Thank you for supporting us in offering Business Development Services to the private sector and readying businesses for export. I would be remiss if I did not salute your contribution to Uganda’s development, tourism, culture and heritage, in particular.”
In her remarks, the new UNDP Resident Representative, Nwanne Vwede-Obahor, said women entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in national development.
“It therefore fills me with immense joy to be amongst such a dynamic group of women and supportive men. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Private Sector Foundation Uganda for inviting me to witness firsthand, your dedication, energy, and commitment to the fight for equality and women’s economic advancement,” she noted.
“Women world over, have increasingly made significant contributions to economic, political, and social transformation. Despite strides made in narrowing gender disparities, particularly in leadership and political engagement, substantial gaps persist in areas such as education, employment and economic participation. This makes a mockery of our 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development!” she added.
