The commissioning of the new machinery was held yesterday and presided over by State Minister of Finance for General Duties, Henry Musasizi, in the company of Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi and the acting Director of Economic Affairs, Moses Kagwa.
Uganda Breweries Limited has installed a new production line worth Shs39.9 billion which will increase production capacity to 30,000 330ml Bottles per hour and 25,000 500ml Bottles per hour.
Ministry of Finance endorses new Shs39 billion brewery production line
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Musasizi hailed UBL for seeing the economic potential of Uganda and backing their belief by increasing investments.
“Uganda Breweries and the larger hospitality industry have been instrumental in the country's economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. New investments like these give us more hope in the full recovery of the manufacturing sector and are evidence that the Ugandan economy is sound as evidenced by the trust and appetite of investors like these," he said.
The new line will be female dominated with at least 65 percent women manning it and will supplement the Shs44.4 billion bottling line that was launched 13 years ago.
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It also boosts UBL's total capital expenditure in the country to more than Shs7.8 trillion since its establishment in 1946.
“As a 76-year business, this milestone stands as a testament to the fact that our quality Ugandan products – made from quality Ugandan inputs – are well-received in the country and the region, which translates into our growing impact on the lives of the over 38,000 farmers and over 200,000 farmer households that supply the raw materials that feed our production processes," said Andrew Kilonzo, UBL’s Managing Director.
He added that despite their improved efficiency and increased demand for their products, they still uphold a culture of responsible consumption through campaigns targeting underage drinking, driving under the influence, and moderation.
The new development comes on the backdrop of improved performance of the manufacturing sector in the country which boasted an output increase of 12.15 percent in 2021 from 2020. The manufacturing sector currently employs over 1.3 million people making up 18.6 percent of the country's GDP, 14 percent of tax revenue collections, and 19 percent of total exports.
