Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has urged Finnish companies to invest in coffee value addition in Uganda, calling it the surest way for African producers to tap into the lucrative global coffee market. Tayebwa was speaking during a meeting with members of the Commerce Committee of the Parliament of Finland.
He highlighted the stark imbalance in global coffee earnings, noting that producing countries receive only a small fraction of the industry’s vast revenues. “I want to encourage companies from Finland to come and add value to Ugandan coffee; Africa’s largest coffee exporter,” Tayebwa said.
Citing global trade estimates, he noted that the coffee industry generates about US$452 billion annually, yet only US$25 billion goes to producing countries, with Africa collectively earning just US$3 billion. “All the coffee produced here, in Brazil, Vietnam, and elsewhere, brings only US$25 billion to producers, while countries that do not grow a single coffee tree take the lion’s share,” he said, describing it as economic injustice.
As President of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the OACPS–European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Tayebwa said he is pushing for fairer trade terms, including reduced taxes on coffee exported to the EU. He recounted seeing Ugandan coffee sold at €45 per kilogram in Milan, despite a local price of roughly €3.
The Finnish lawmakers praised Uganda’s refugee-friendly policies and hospitality, calling the country a global model in humanitarian response. “We are very impressed with the work you do on refugees. You offset a big burden,” said Vilhelm Junnila, Chairperson of Finland’s Committee on Commerce. He also highlighted the strong trade relationship between Uganda and Finland, noting that Finland imports coffee from Uganda and exports paper materials in return.
Junnila led a seven-member delegation in Uganda for a week-long benchmarking exercise on parliamentary best practices. They were accompanied by representatives from Finn Church Aid, a Finnish humanitarian organization.
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