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The Forum, which opens March 5 and will run until March 7 at the Speke Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo in Uganda’s capital Kampala, is the largest and most influential joint Uganda-EU event on doing business and investing in Uganda.
The theme of this year’s Forum is “Boosting Trade and Investments”, and the sub-theme is “What can Uganda gain from Global Gateway?”
Now in its third edition, the Forum presents a hybrid event of exclusive business meetings in Uganda designed to mobilise investments into the country and strengthen Ugandan exports, contributing to the partnership between Uganda and the EU, said European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek, at a press conference in Kampala.
“There is a lot that Uganda can gain from the Global Gateway, which is the EU’s investment strategy aimed at leveraging investments for large-scale initiatives in sectors that are key for sustainable and inclusive growth in partner countries.
“Through the Global Gateway, the EU is able to pool resources from our Member States and European financial institutions to narrow investment gaps while promoting competitiveness and security of supply chains,” said Ambassador Sadek.
President Yoweri Museveni is confirmed as the chief guest at the Forum and will be joined by the EU Deputy Director General for International Partnerships Myriam Ferran.
The Uganda-EU Business Forum is organised by the EU Delegation to Uganda together with its Member States, in partnership with the Government of Uganda, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), under the Sustainable Business for Uganda (SB4U) Team Europe Initiative.
State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite, urged European investors to take advantage of investment and business opportunities that will be created by the 3rd edition of the Forum.
“Government of Uganda fully supports the 3rd Uganda-EU Business Forum and we thank the EU for choosing Uganda as a preferred investment destination. This is an excellent opportunity for Ugandans to seize,” Anite says.
The Forum is placing special attention to key economic sectors that offer significant opportunities for European investors to develop partnerships with entrepreneurs in Uganda including in Agribusiness, Sustainable Mining, Enabling Infrastructure and Sustainable Tourism.
The EU is one of the leading development partners for Uganda, not only contributing to Uganda’s development objectives through official development assistance but also through private sector investments and through trade.
It is anticipated that the Forum will attract the participation of over 1500 individuals, both in-person and virtually. Representatives from various European nations, including France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Austria, the Czech Republic, and others, are expected to join.
The Chairman of UIA, Morrison Rwakakamba, said: “The Uganda Investment Authority will showcase bankable projects at the 3rd Uganda-European Union Business Forum. We will continue to illuminate investment opportunities that we can present to EU investors. We see lucrative investment opportunities in pharmaceuticals, edible oils, electronics and agro-equipment. We strongly believe that the Forum will pave a way for a more remarkable coalition among Ugandan public and private sector trade and investment support institutions to work together in making investments happen in Uganda.”
“The EU market offers great opportunities for Ugandan entrepreneurs. Uganda has lots of trade advantages with Europe and we need to build and capitalise, focusing on value addition and standards for quality exports. The Ugandan private sector is keen on doing business with our European counterparts and this Forum presents a priceless opportunity for us to expand our markets, promote Ugandan services and products and attract investment in the country,” says PSFU Chair Humphrey Nzeyi.
The first Uganda-EU Business Forum took place on March 9 - 10, 2020 in Kampala with a specific focus on promoting a favourable investment climate in Uganda to spur rapid economic development while conserving the environment, creating sustainable jobs, and reducing poverty among the population.
The second Uganda-EU Business Forum took place on October 26 - 27, 2022 with a specific objective to enhance Uganda’s visibility as an investment and export destination of choice.