MBALE, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commissioned four new factories and broke ground on nine others Friday, affirming the government’s commitment to industrialization to boost jobs and wealth creation.
Speaking at Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, Museveni said the country’s industrialization agenda is progressing by attracting capable investors. He said the park, which employs over 11,000 Ugandans, helps “address import substitution demands for consumer and commercial goods” and challenged Ugandans to “prioritize the NRM strategic development plans.”
The four commissioned companies are Unisteel Investments, Nice Textiles, Xinlon Textiles and Garment Technology Co., and Timber Paper Industry Co. Museveni challenged the people of the Elgon sub-region to “take advantage of the industrial park to supply industries consumables and partake of the business opportunities.”
He also laid the groundwork for nine new factories, including Young Tze Industry Ltd., Planetic Industries-SM Ltd., Elgon Steel Uganda Ltd., Shentang Machineries Manufacturing Uganda Ltd., Hercules Automobile, Hailan Industries Ltd., Myno Technology Co. Ltd., Futian Hardware Uganda Ltd., and Aofan Garments Co. Ltd. He revealed that the government plans to grant another 600 acres of land to the park for expansion and committed to ensuring “the improvement of drainage systems across Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial park and a stable power supply.”
State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization Evelyn Anite said Uganda’s industrialization efforts have created over 1.2 million factory jobs, adding that the government’s emphasis is now on “scale up.” Anite also “assured youths of total employment as government advances industrialization.”
Paul Zhang, chairman of Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park and Tian Tang Group, noted that the park has reached 73 factories in “active production.” He thanked the president for “endorsing the establishment of the Industrial Park with good policies that has seen successful development of the park,” which he said has “employed over 10,000 workers especially the youth.”
