East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA - Against the background that fair competition promotes innovation and guarantees equal opportunities to market participants, Uganda is now developing a National Competition and Consumer Protection policy.
The policy will bridge the gap between competition and consumer protection by removing concentration of economic power thus providing efficiency in trade and accelerating development.
Currently, Uganda does not have an exclusive policy that addresses the two subjects. Subsequently, the country has not been able to enjoy the full benefits of liberalisation in some aspects.
In order to implement the policy, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives with the support of the Economic Partnership Agreement Trade and Private Sector Support Programme (EPA TAPSS) s now holding multi-sectoral consultative meetings to discuss the draft National Competition and Consumer Policy.
EPA TAPPS is a Euros 5 million programme funded by the European Union (EU) under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).
The Draft National Competition and Consumer Protection Policy refers to a set of laws and regulations aimed at maintaining a fair degree of competition by eliminating restrictive business practises from the market.
The development of the policy is in line with the National Trade Policy and the National Trade Sector Development Plan and is a step towards the implementation of activities aimed at attaining trade growth guided with complementary policies.
During a multi-sectoral consultative meeting held in Kampala last week, it was noted that anti-competition actions are likely to increase because of the integration processes within the region given that Uganda is part of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The two economic blocks have developed Competition Acts and regulations to prevent anti-competitive practices and promote fair competition.
"In the spirit of facilitating the integration agenda, Uganda as a member state to the EAC and COMESA is required to fulfil her obligations. Thus Uganda has to demonstrate the laws and establish a regulatory framework that promotes fair competition," a statement from Uganda's Ministry of Trade said.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, said the competition and consumer protection policy and law have been prioritised under Presidential Round Table and hence there was need to move expeditiously to have the draft policy before cabinet by the end of December.     
Creation of the policy took off in 2009, when the Ministry with support from the EPA TAPSS programme undertook a study to understand the competition structure f Uganda.
EPA TAPPS programme builds on the previous support by the EU to Uganda's trade sector under the Uganda Programme for Trade Opportunities and Policy (UPTOP) and the recently concluded Technical Support for Economic Partnership Agreement Finalisation (TSEPAF).
The study provided information on how the market environment is competitive for consumers, enterprises including foreign direct investment inflows.
Uganda Government will also monitor cooperatives activities in the country as part of the initiatives to revamp the once vibrant societies that collapsed due to mismanagement.
In order for them to take off, Government has planned construction of 10 food silos countrywide, 60 satellite stores to deal with processing.
Government has also recommended that Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) meant to create market and credit opportunities for agricultural products be managed by cooperatives.
"Government has made a paradigm shift on cooperatives and is coming in coming to support, encourage them and see that we enhance them. We have developed a matrix for strict monitoring of cooperatives," the Minister, Amelia Kyambadde  said while meeting officials from Canadian Cooperatives Association (CCA) and Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA) in her office. CCA was represented by, Ingrid Fischer and Leonard Msemakweli represented UCA .Construction of the Government silos is expected to start in the next financial year.