Buikwe, 30^th May, 2024 – A team from the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) led by Executive Director, Dr. Ezra Rubanda paid a courtesy visit to the MMP Industrial Park, Buikwe in a bid to devise solutions for recurring challenges relating to production, taxation and standards.

With only 250 acres currently utilized out of 1000 acres, the MMP Industrial Park is home to Modern Agrichem Industries, who specialize in the manufacture of insecticides, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers for agriculture purposes.

Modern Agrichem Industries boasts an average capacity of 40,000 litres of herbicides per day and an average 300,000 litres of the same per month. This notwithstanding, the company is still challenged with issues relating to irregularity of standards, supply chain and power outages which heavily affect production.

“Even with the manufacturers’ plea to Government to reduce the cost of power from over 14 US cents /KWh to 5 US cents /KWh, the cost remains high and supply inconsistent,” said Mr. Parasi, Executive Director MMP Group.

The proliferation of counterfeits in the markets remains a recurring challenge for manufacturers especially in the Agricultural sector, despite direct supervision from Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Feeds and Fisheries. Informal SMEs operating without licenses and failing to adhere to set standards significantly contribute to this challenge.

Additionally, Government of Uganda has ensured ease of access to the industrial park through construction of roads.

“We thank Government for construction of roads to the industrial park, however, we request that the process be expedited so that construction works are complete,” appealed Mr. Francis Baganzi, Corporate Manager – MMP Group.

While addressing the management team during the visit, Dr. Ezra Rubanda, Executive Director UMA, tasked the leaders of the Industrial Park to share comprehensive reports on inventory systems, power usage, water accessibility, access to roads and waste management. Through this, he noted that the secretariat will be in better position to effectively advocate for improved service delivery and policies.

Dr. Rubanda also emphasized the need to bridge the information gap between manufacturers and final consumers who are unable to differentiate authentic products from counterfeits. To address this, he implored Modern Agrichem Industries to organise interactive district engagements with local leaders and locals, and to participate in the Agricultural Pavilion under the UMA Eastern Region Trade Fair scheduled for 14^th to 23^rd June 2024 in Mbale city, as an avenue for educating the masses on the various agricultural products and best practices.

UMA continues to work closely with the Local Economic Development (LED) government system, fostering local cooperation to achieve sustainable economic growth and development. Through this, the association promotes uptake of locally made products and furthers the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) agenda.

Regarding compliance, MMP Steel and Allied Ltd., manufacturers of steel products, installed machinery which utilizes the cold galvanization system. However, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has mandated that industries within the park transition to the hot galvanization system within nine months. Given the short timeframe, the MMP Group petitioned for a five-year transition period but, were only granted two years, which they consider insufficient to make the necessary changes.

Unlike other industrial parks, the MMP Industrial Park plans to construct international schools, bus terminals, shopping malls and a dock for ferry transportation.

Companies within the MMP Industrial Park include; Modern Agrichem Industries, Modern Automobiles Ltd, Modern Rubber & Allied Ltd, Modern Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Modern Allied Footwear Ltd, and Modern Heavy Engineering Ltd.