Uganda gets modern fuel-efficient car maker

The State Minister for Finance in charge of Privatisation and Investment, Evelyn Anite has unveiled a modern fuel efficient car making unit at the Automobile Group Uganda Company Limited.

Speaking at at an inspection tour of the country’s biggest business park in Namanve, Anite lauded the company for availing the country with a timely product that not only reduce the volume of used imported cars in the country but also make fuel friendly cars.

“We welcome this initiative because it directly answers the challenge that we have as a country on fuel costs,” Minister Anite said.

Anite noted that besides providing jobs for Ugandans, the initiative will also go a long way in helping the country in reducing on the high volume in very old and yet expensive imported cars in Uganda.

She also revealed that the development is part of the country’s initiative to promote home generated products and services which are manufactured, promoted and sold under the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda initiative (BUBU).

The BUBU drive is among others meant to encourage the uptake of domestically made products as a means to promoting local talent, curing the long standing challenge of unemployment in the country also tone down levels of immigrant workers.

In his remarks, the Company Director Anthony Liu revealed that the cars manufactured at the plant will not only be fuel efficient, but also be installed with state of the art equipment meant to reduce on carbon emissions thus sustain quality air in the country.

“We are going to sell our cars just as the sane rate of those that are at used car prices. For instance the pick-up double is just USD35,000 (Ug Shs125 Million) at zero mileage,” Liu said.

He further revealed that the company has already made 32 large trucks and 32 pick-ups adding that the cars are built on well researched technology that will not only ensure that the country gets economically viable cars but with a long life span as well.

“So because we have very trustable technology, in the future we want to make the country’s cheapest brand new cars in Uganda and the region of East Africa,” Liu said.

Additionally, the company also manufacturers air filters, oil and fuel filters under its subset brand known as the Uganda Filtration Technic Company Limited located at the Mbale Industrial Park.

The filters, among others, prevent the engine from premature abrasion, moisture, dehumidification, and no affection to air inhalation.

The same branch of the company, research unit is set up to mainly absorb more Ugandan students as a means of widening the pool of experts in the line of work in the country.

“We may not be able to make most of the spare parts here but we believe we can make glasses, tyres. We look out for any Ugandan factory that has these materials and once they are tested to be fit for the cars we make, then we will definitely take them up,” Mr Liu said.

The company intends to roll out the product to other parts of the country.

Among the long term plans that the company has include accommodating intern students from both vocational institutions and university in the areas of Information Technology, computer science, mechanical engineering among others.

“When these come, we will train them in all the sectors and through the entire production line of the cars," Liu said before adding, “This is meant to expand the knowledge base in this area so that the same can be used in other factories.”

He further stated: “We trust that once we train as many Ugandans as possible then, the same labour force can be embraced and applied in local companies like the Kira Motor vehicles.”

With the launch of this development, Uganda joins the counterparts in the East African Community which among others includes Rwanda and Kenya that have since engaged in high-end initiatives and programmes to quench the thirst of ever growing demand for modern and brand new motor vehicles.

It is worth noting that most of the countries in the region have had a high reliance on second hand cars and have also had an adverse effect in the countries that they have been bought and used.