The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, met with officials from the Indian Business Forum to discuss enhancing Uganda's investment environment.
The delegation was led by the forum’s Director General, Rajesh Kumar.
During the discussions, Col. Nakalema assured the investors of SHIPU’s commitment to streamlining investment processes and fostering a transparent, corruption-free investment climate.
She highlighted the unit’s mandate, established in May 2023 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as protecting investors from fraud, investigating complaints, and ensuring an investor-friendly dispute resolution system.
“We ensure that no investor experiences delays during the investment process by safeguarding them from fraudsters and supporting smooth and quick procedures,” she stated.
To further facilitate this mission, Col. Nakalema introduced the Uganda Electronic Investors Protection Portal, a digital platform designed to secure and simplify investment processes. The portal offers verified access to government resources, a reporting mechanism for complaints, enforcement follow-up, and regular feedback for investors.
“This online solution ensures that investors conduct due diligence before investing in Uganda,” she added.
On behalf of the forum, Kumar underscored the Indian community’s significant contribution to Uganda’s economy through investments and taxes.
He explained that the Indian Business Forum, an arm of the Indian Association Uganda, works to strengthen business opportunities for Indians and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) in Uganda while fostering networks for economic growth.
“Uganda is the best place to invest due to the favourable investment environment and the good leadership of President Yoweri Museveni,” Kumar remarked.
He highlighted ongoing contributions to sectors such as mining, textiles, cocoa, coffee, and solar energy while expressing the forum’s readiness to invest in value addition for these industries.
He also called for stronger collaboration between SHIPU and the Indian Business Forum to attract more investments.
Adding to the discussion, Manish Kalla, Treasurer of the Indian Business Forum, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to adding value to Uganda’s raw materials, particularly in agro-products.
In response, Col. Nakalema assured the delegation of her determination to address their concerns. “I will not stop at talking. As a soldier, I believe in implementation,” she stated.
The meeting was attended by Fred Ruhindi, former Attorney General, and Hiromi Abe, Private Secretary to the President in charge of Investment Matters.