Trade minister Kyambadde explains hides and skins export ban

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Amelia Kyambadde has launched the Leather and Leather Products Policy that aims to improve quality of exports and processing of hides and skins in the country.

The policy passed by Uganda’s cabinet recently, aims to maximize value addition in the leather sector and application of cleaner technologies. The policy targets 0% export of raw hides and skins, 25% of semi-finished leather processed into finished leather products for domestic consumption and export.

” The exportation of raw hides and skins is meant to support the local leather industries in the region, which depend on these raw materials to manufacture finished products,” Kyambadde said.

She explained  that the ban on the export of raw hides and skins will help increase supply in the region and boost production of leather materials

Kyambadde was officiating at the 7^th Annual Sector Review Conference of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in Kampala where she highlighted a number of achievements including adoption of modern trade protocols and robust development of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Kyambadde decried inadequate budget allocations as a major constraint in the sector’s performance.

She revealed that the COMESA region was still Uganda’s main export destination during the past year. The EU market ranked the second highest destination for Uganda’s products followed by the Middle East bloc, Asia, the Rest of Africa, the Rest of Europe and the Americas respectively.

Growth of Uganda’s Export to the Regional Bloc (2005/06 – 2014/15)

At the conference Kyambadde highlight the achievements of the TIC Sector for the Financial Year 2015/16, the planned key activities for FY 2016/17.

She launched six policies and strategies: 

1. Sector Development Plan FY2015/16- 2019/20
2. Uganda Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise(MSME) Policy
3. Buy Uganda Build Uganda Implementation Strategy
4. The National Leather and Leather Products Policy
5. National Export Development Strategy 2015/16-2019/20
6. The Annual Trade Report 2015

Bills Passed by Parliament
• Trade Licensing Amendment Bill; No. 10 (2016)
• Uganda Development Cooperation Bill; No. 10 (2016)

Bills before Parliament
• The Anti-Counterfeit Goods Bill
• The Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Bill
• The Cooperative Societies Act Amendment Bill
• The Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Bills to be presented to Parliament
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) Domestication Bill
• Sugar Bill

Policies and Bills under Development
• National Consumer Protection Bill
• Competition Bill
• National Industrial Development Bill
• Produce Regulatory Bill
• Co-operative Bank Bill
• Scientific and Legal Metrology Bill
• Technical Regulation Framework Bill
• UNBS Amendment Bill
• National Accreditation Bill
• Kigumba Co-operative College Bill
• Management Training and Advisory Centre (MTAC) Bill

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editor@independent.co.ug