By Jackline Nabirye
Communications Officer - ICPAU
The Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) has urged manufacturers and industrialists to consider the green industrial agenda as a tool for sustainable socio-economic development.
The Green Industrial Agenda aims to promote sustainable industrial growth in Uganda, in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals.
The objectives of the green agenda include; reducing the carbon footprint of Uganda's industrial sector, encouraging domestic resource mobilisation for the green agenda, increasing efficiency of the resources available and migration to net zero across all value chains, facilitating the competitiveness of Uganda's industrial sector by promoting the development of green technologies and products, increasing climate change awareness on both mitigation and adaptation measures, and facilitating research for the green agenda for policy, advocacy and contributing to global climate change goals.
While addressing participants at the 11th CPA Economic Forum, Mr Gilbert Kibekityo encouraged manufacturers to explore green ventures, such as volarisation of side streams for sustainable packaging, investment in research incubation hubs, hydrogen technologies in the steel and transport sector, and recycling, reuse of paper, textiles, plastics.
He recommended the increased involvement of the private sector in development programmes.
“We do not want the development of such programmes where we are only looking at the pro-poor and the private sector is left out,” he said.
“Let us not believe that government and private sector can be alone, and we can cause development,” he added.
He further recommended value chain development, Public Private Partnerships, strategic positioning of the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) to boost market access, tax base widening, promotion of access to energy, harnessing the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy and its implementation, promotion of indigenous industry growth, and financial sector deepening.
Mr Kibekityo condemned unfriendly economic activities such as burning fossil fuels,
cutting down forests, use of fertilisers containing nitrogen, but advised the government to provide sustainable solutions to the population, before banning the activities.
Organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) the 11th CPA Economic Forum is being held from 19 - 21 July 2023 under the theme “National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development”. The forum is being hosted at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe with an option to attend virtually.
The forum brings together tax consultants, economists, policy makers, entrepreneurs, investment experts, accountants, government officials to contribute towards the economy’s growth by discussing resolutions that are submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in a bid to contribute to national economic policy formulation.
