The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The first-ever Uganda-Europe business summit that will bring together over 700 business people and organizations from Europe and Uganda is being eclipsed by a threat of the spread of coronavirus that is devastating parts of Europe.
Germany, Italy and France are some of the European countries currently grappling with the virus that started in China at the end of last year.
The two-day forum known as the Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Development and Jobs that will be held at the Common Wealth Resort Munyonyo will take place March 9-10.
Speaking to reporters at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala on Thursday, Attilio Pacifici, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda said they will take all necessary precautions to see that those who attend the meeting don’t pose any danger of spreading the virus to Uganda.
“Uganda is safe because it is one of the few countries that has not recorded any case of the virus. Europe is not safe because we have got very many cases there. The issue is to protect Uganda to make sure that the people who come have no potential of bringing here the disease from Europe,” Pacifici said.
He added that they are working closely with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to see that all the people who will fly in from Europe are properly screened to ensure that they don’t have the virus.
Amelia Kyambadde, the minister of Trade and Cooperatives said that coronavirus has slowed down business because many Ugandan traders are unable to go to China to order for fresh consignments. She said, her ministry is in the process of computing the extent of the loss that the virus has had on the economy and when they are done, they will be releasing the results.
She however called upon traders not to halt their lives but to look for alternative routes of supply like the European Union.
On the summit, Kyambadde said this is an opportunity for Uganda to look for market elsewhere for her goods. She said the country exports good worth about $600million and imports the goods of almost the same value. She called upon Ugandan companies to utilize the opportunity given to them by the EU to export all manner of goods to Europe without restriction to quantity.
“Produce high-quality goods that meet the standards of the EU in order to benefit from this opportunity,” Kyambadde said.
Elly Karuhanga, the chairman of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda said the EU’s decision to open up her market to Ugandan manufacturers is an opportunity for the country to increase her competitiveness. He said the EU had finally answered President Museveni’s concerns about their development model that didn’t target the private sector. “It is more pleasing to know that the first country in Africa to implement this model is Uganda. I think we are ready to take on this challenge,” Karuhanga said.
Pacifici said they have been working together with the government of Uganda to see how to come together and create a relationship that benefits both their private sectors.
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