By Patrick Kagenda Government says 2 new companies coming The Uganda National Bureau of Standards and ministry of Works Laboratories find no quality problems with it but imported cement from Pakistan has local producers worried. A combination of rising costs of production, low supply and growing demand pushed the price …
Read More »DStv’s future is in satellite not cable
By Patrick Kagenda MultiChoice Uganda General Manager Charles Hamya tells The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda why the Ugandan housing set-up and bench-marking the best internationally favours satellite against cable TV locally. How do you intend to use the fiber optic cable to ease access of your services to the Ugandans? The …
Read More »Kampala city’s first modern market ready
By Patrick Kagenda Construction of Ovino Market is over and the market is ready for occupancy. The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda talked to Miraj Barot the head of marketing at the Tirupati Group which is behind the Ovino dream. Now that construction of the market is complete what is next? …
Read More »Air Uganda flies high on code sharing deals
By Patrick Kagenda Passenger sharing agreements allow it to fly EU destined travellers through Entebbe Air Uganda seems determined to end the jinx that has afflicted Entebbe based national flag carriers since Uganda Airlines collapsed in 2001. Its successor, East African Airways, was launched in December 2002 but collapsed soon …
Read More »We need a policy on fake investors
By Patrick Kagenda You have been accused of running down the chamber. What is happening? That is not true. If anything I have done a lot to make the chamber an established institution. I found the chamber being run without functional structures, affiliated to the National Enterprises Corporation (NEC) and …
Read More »Standards body, tax collectors to jointly fight poor quality imports
By Patrick Kagenda UNBS, URA to integrate systems by end of year Uganda has 52 gazetted entry points for imports but only 19 are monitored for quality of goods by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS). Smugglers know this. Result: Counterfeits and fake goods, especially electrical appliances, cables, cosmetics, …
Read More »Tanzania port’s offer to Uganda spreads cold chills at Mombasa
By Patrick Kagenda The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is quickly learning that ‘customer is king’ is not an overrated clich. Uganda is Kenya’s top most trading partner in the region with 12.3% of all Kenyan manufactured goods heading to its westerly neighbor in 2008. According to the 2008 statistics from …
Read More »New TV brings a smile to GTV subscribers
By Patrick Kagenda The first ever Chinese run Television station is set to open shop in Uganda in the next one month. Star TV, which is to operate pay TV services, is to begin testing its signal soon. ‘We have already given them license and we should expect them …
Read More »EU risks, hands Shs 87bn to govt Treasury
By Patrick Kagenda When the European Union last week donated 30 million Euros (Shs 87billion) to the Uganda government, its emphasis was less on the purpose and more on the risk it was taking. The money is part of the 175 million Euro (Shs511billion) to be disbursed in six phases, …
Read More »Zain going, going ‘gone again?
By Patrick Kagenda After spending over one month making headlines in the African media, the impending sale of Zain Africa operations to Vivendi the French entertainment group appears to have been concluded. Business daily Africa of Kenya Saturday 4 July said Zain has been sold. “Europe’s largest entertainment group Vivendi, …
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