DCCI launches Ugandan Business Council

The statement came in a ceremony held today at DCCI to celebrate launching of the Ugandan Business Council (UBC), in the presence of Honorable Nathan Nabeta, Ugandan Minister of State for Trade, Mr. Fox Odoi, Senior Legal advisor, President's Office, and high caliber officials from Uganda, along with 70 members of the UBC.

Mr. Mutaiwee emphasized the necessity of signing the Agreement of Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Agreement of Investment Protection between Uganda and UAE for further enhancing the levels of understanding and mutual cooperation.

"We hope that your Council will achieve its objectives by further enhancing the businesses of its members in trading, manufacturing and professional services fields", said Mr. Mutaiwee. "It is also expected to work towards strengthening the cooperation between its members and the business community in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates", he added.

He assured that Dubai is not only a hub for trade in Middle East but also a hub for the exhibition industry, as it organizes, or hosts, the biggest number of international specialist and diversified exhibitions in the Middle East.

He suggested that DCCI would be able to enlist on its agenda for the next year holding a UAE trade exhibition in Kampala, Uganda as a part of its interest in expanding Dubai trade into Africa.

"Being the hub of business and trade in the Middle East, Dubai is in good position to promote the Ugandan products and services all over its markets that reach to more than 1.5 billion potential consumers in the world through its re-exports", Mr. Mutaiwee said.

He emphasized on the necessity of fortifying the investment environment in Uganda as an approach to attract the foreign direct investment, through promoting the developed infrastructure and facilities plus the human resources and the natural resources.. He expressed his hops to see the UBC members are interacting widely with the other business councils in Dubai operating under the umbrella of DCCI.

The Ugandan Minister, Honorable Nabeta pointed out to the advantages of the geographical location of his country to express how vital is to extend its trade and business links with Dubai.

"Uganda is located on the Equator and is the source of River Nile which flows to Egypt. Uganda is bordered by Kenya in the east, Tanzania in the south, Rwanda in the southeast, Congo-DRC in the west and Sudan to the north.It is served by the Kenyan seaport of Mombassa and the Tanzanian seaport of Dar es salam. Goods travel by both road and railway to reach Uganda", he explained. "The country has daily flights with Emirates Airlines connecting Entebbe and Dubai. There is also air connection by a number of other airlines i.e. Ethiopian, KLM/Kenya airways, south African Airways, East African Airways etc.", he clarified.

Honorable Nabeta assured that the his country together with Kenya and Tanzania formed a customs union which has a population of 100 million people. "This has greatly increased on the size of market of businesses operating from Uganda. Companies operating from Uganda also have easy access from to a number of countries in the interior of Africa through COMESA- which bring together 19 African countries with a population of approximately 400 million people including Sudan and DRC. The easy access to these markets is attractive for one to locate his business operations in Uganda", he said.

DCCI has been the backbone of the commercial and economic activities of the Emirates and a source of development and progress. Its mission is to be indispensable source of competitive advantage for the business community in Dubai.