The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Henry Musasizi, has directed the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) to prioritise the completion of critical infrastructure in industrial parks, saying investments in roads, water and electricity are essential for attracting investors and accelerating industrial growth.
Speaking on Friday during a meeting with the UIA management team, led by Director General Robert Mukiza, at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Musasizi said industrial parks should only be licensed once the necessary infrastructure and utilities are in place to support business operations.
“Industrial parks must be licensed when all amenities are accessible. Investment promotion and facilitation remains a core function of the Ministry,” Musasizi said.
Mukiza said the Authority has made significant progress in developing industrial and agricultural business parks, with 14 of the planned 25 parks now fully operational.
He said the operational parks host 463 companies, which have mobilised investments worth US$5.881 billion and created 164,230 direct and indirect jobs, largely in the manufacturing sector.
Mukiza, however, said more investment is needed to improve services within the parks, including establishing regional One Stop Centres to bring investment facilitation services closer to investors.
“Government should provide additional funding for park development and maintenance while also prioritising competitive power tariffs and dedicated substations to guarantee reliable electricity supply in industrial parks,” he said.
The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Privatisation and Investment), Aminah Mukalazi, called for improvements in the investor licensing process and stronger follow-up mechanisms to address investor concerns promptly.
She said the One Stop Centre should be strengthened with personnel empowered to make timely decisions that facilitate faster licensing.
“All incentives available to investors should be clearly communicated to prospective investors to enhance Uganda’s competitiveness as an investment destination,” Mukalazi said.
She also called for a review of land ownership arrangements in industrial parks, proposing that land allocated to investors but left undeveloped for prolonged periods should revert to government for reallocation to investors ready to undertake productive investments.
The meeting focused on strengthening Uganda’s investment climate through improved infrastructure, efficient service delivery and reforms aimed at accelerating industrial development.
