Museveni Signs Controversial Sugar Bill Into Law

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has signed the Sugar bill into law.

This as Uganda makes its final deliberations in trading off its surplus sugar to Tanzania, with the first consignment of 20,000 metric tones being agreed upon, at the prevailing market rates.

The President assented to the bill on 24th, April, 2020.

The sugar industry of Uganda will be exporting 20,000 Metric Tonnes of brown sugar to the United Republic of Tanzania by the end of May 2020. This is the first consignment, which has opened up market opportunities for the Ugandan sugar millers who have surplus production.

The President yesterday met with representatives from Tanzania led by the Managing Director of Kagera Sugar Limited, Seif Ally Seif. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Amelia Kyambadde.

In the meeting, President Museveni thanked his counterpart President John Pombe Magufuli for collaborating with Uganda’s sugar industry and reiterated, that this was of the essence because it would help strengthen the East African Community.

President Museveni noted that it was because Ugandans have embraced commercial agriculture that the country was able to have surplus.

“Everything here can grow easily except that we have been lagging behind because of politics of identity and primitive farming methods based on a subsistence way of life. With some sensitization now, Ugandans are waking up and so we are able to have surplus,” the President said.

Minister Kyambadde said this is a relief for the Ugandan millers who have been trying to penetrate the Tanzanian market for a long time adding that Port Bell to Mwanza will be the transportation medium as it is safer and cheaper. She said subsequent exports will be made in due course.

According to Kyambadde, Uganda has a good sugar market with a surplus of 48,000 metrics tonnes, which will help Tanzania with its current sugar shortage.

“Our Sugar Industry comprises of 11 functional Sugar Mills producing 510,000 Metric Tones and consumption is 360,000 Metric Tones per annum. Surplus is 150,000 Metric Tonnes and sufficient for export. During CORVID -19, the prices of Sugar have remained stable at UGX 3800 to 4000/UGX per Kg. Though in the beginning there was some hoarding and panic shopping,” she said.