UNBS, TradeMark Africa sign UGX 5.5 billion deal to boost MSME exports

KAMPALA— The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) have signed a USD 1.5 million (approximately UGX 5.5 billion) partnership agreement aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of Ugandan agro-industrial Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in regional and international markets.

The agreement, signed at the UNBS headquarters in Bweyogerere, will bolster UNBS’s capacity to support MSME standardization, enabling their products to meet stringent global market requirements. This initiative aligns with UNBS’s mandate to strengthen Uganda’s economy through quality assurance and TMA’s mission to facilitate trade and regulatory standards.

TMA Country Director, Anna Nambooze, highlighted Uganda’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, citing the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the 2024 State of Entrepreneurship Monitor. She emphasized that while Uganda boasts a high number of MSMEs, they often lack the necessary support to grow and compete effectively.

“The government has made it easier to start-up businesses, but supportive systems to guide these MSMEs through their growth journey remain insufficient,” Nambooze stated. “To boost Uganda’s exports, capacity building for MSMEs is critical to appreciate standards and integrate them into their operations from inception.”

UNBS Executive Director, James Kasigwa, expressed gratitude for the timely support, noting it aligns with UNBS’s new strategy of nurturing quality MSMEs to meet international standards. He emphasized the agreement’s role in supporting market access and competitiveness for Ugandan products.

“In the next five years, we are going to grow MSMEs and strengthen their ability to supply the domestic and export market,” Kasigwa said. “This will boost industrialisation, import substitution, and export promotion in line with National Development Plan IV and the ten-fold strategy of growing Uganda’s economy from USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion by 2040. We need to be intentional about building Uganda.”

The 12-month agreement will facilitate several key initiatives, including:

• Mobile Quality Assurance Testing Equipment: Procurement and installation for border communities (Goli, Paidha, Vurra in Uganda, and Mahagi, Aruu in the DRC).
• Laboratory Accreditation: Support for UNBS to gain accreditation for its regional laboratories in Gulu, Mbale, and Mbarara, and expansion of accredited laboratory scopes.
• Border Post Laboratory Equipment: Provision of testing equipment for the UNBS border post laboratory in Busia.
• Training and Certification: Global GAP Integrated Farm Assurance V6, ECOMARK, Personnel Certification, and Food Safety training for UNBS auditors, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) farm assurers, and private sector implementation training.
• MSME Awareness: Awareness creation and sensitization on standards and certification requirements.

UNBS acknowledged the support from TMA and its partners, including the Danish Government (DANIDA), the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the European Union.

UNBS, a government agency, is responsible for developing and enforcing standards to protect public health, safety, and the environment, ensuring fair trade, and enhancing the competitiveness of Ugandan products. TMA, an African Aid-for-Trade organisation, focuses on growing intra-African trade and increasing Africa’s share in global trade.