Uganda: Multiple entry visas for investors

President Yoweri Museveni wants investors given multiple entry visas to avoid inconveniences in the investment process.

President Museveni meets Indian minister and his delegation at State House Entebbe. PPU Photo

He directed the Uganda Investment Authority to urgently table a draft proposal to ensure that the institution is a one stop centre for investments with all the relevant officials including those to do with the environment under one roof.

“Why do you inconvenience people who are interested in investing here with visas? Why not give them multiple entry visas so that they can come and go easily,” he said.

The President was Wednesday closing a three day 4th Presidential Investors Round Table (PIRT) conference that was hosted by the President at Entebbe State House.

The President is also against taxing the Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) saying the country needs to tap into this potential and argued against the 6% withholding tax on agriculture machinery.

The BPO industry employs millions of people around the world and is one of the major revenue earners for countries such as India. Uganda has the potential to tap in the sector because it has potential.

The President said that the private sector is a mirror that government officials can use to identify their weaknesses and also address them. He said interacting with the private sector is one way of addressing issues and promote economic development.

President Museveni revealed that over the past 27 years, the NRM Government has recorded a 6.5% annual growth rate with the two main actors being the army and the private sector.

“If we worked in harmony with the private sector we would have moved much faster. Government people must come from heaven and mix with the ordinary people and know their problems. I don’t know why it is very difficult for government people to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. How do we handle the issue of humility,” he said.

He said that the Government was committed to constructing an oil refinery and a pipeline to ease production.

The President called for the passing of the biotechnology bill saying it would improve our produce if it is not abused and called for the reduction of internet costs to ease business.

He hailed Baroness Lynda Chalker for supporting Uganda especially in increasing electricity production and advised government against licensing a second cement factory in Kibaale that would have caused government loses.

The PIRT consultant, Baroness Lynda Chalker urged government to analyze the cost of data transmission.

“Have a cost benefit analysis to remove taxes on mobile phones. Government should also establish community Information Centers to enable the youth access ICT facilities. University training research should also be used to meet market challenges,” she said.

The Minister of Agriculture Tress Buchanayandi said that there is need to use improved seeds and called on the stake holders to add value on the farm with particular emphasis on fruits and coffee processing.

The conference which focused on Oil and Gas, ICT, and Agriculture which were described as having the potential to drive forward Uganda’s social and economic development, resolved Government sets up a special fund to support local content service providers, fast track the enactment of PPP Legislation, reduce the cost of broadband, create sector training institutes focusing on entrepreneurship and Research and Development and enhance multiplication of seeds for various crops among other things.

Source The New Vision

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