By Karim Were
KAMPALA — The Government has embarked on the development of a National Industries Register and National Industrial Manufacturing Information System (NIMIS) to address gaps in industrial data and improve planning, investment and support for manufacturers.
The Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna, said the initiative is intended to establish an authoritative and continuously updated database containing information on industrial and manufacturing establishments operating across the country.
Tanna said the lack of comprehensive and reliable industrial data has created inconsistencies among government ministries, departments and agencies, making it difficult to effectively plan infrastructure, target support programmes and monitor industrial development.
“Government currently lacks a comprehensive geo-referenced and continuously updated database for trade and industry enterprises,” Tanna said.
He explained that different government agencies currently have industrial figures that sometimes differ because of gaps in information on the location, scale, output, employment and compliance status of enterprises.
According to the minister, the new system will provide government with accurate information needed to support evidence-based industrial planning.
#Districts given 60 days to submit industrial data**
Tanna said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives has already issued an administrative circular directing licensing authorities in district local governments, cities and municipalities to compile comprehensive baseline information on processing and industrial establishments within their jurisdictions.
The authorities have been given 60 days to submit the information to the ministry.
The data will subsequently be used to update the National Industries Register and establish NIMIS as the official source of structured information on Uganda’s manufacturing and industrial establishments.
The exercise is expected to capture information on the location, scale, production capacity and operational status of manufacturing entities.
Tanna said reliable data would enable government to identify the needs of different industrial areas and better coordinate interventions among government agencies.
The initiative comes as Uganda seeks to accelerate industrialisation, increase value addition and expand the contribution of manufacturing to the national economy.
#Industrialisation remains central to economic transformation
Tanna said industrialisation remains a major pillar of Uganda’s economic transformation agenda, with government focusing on value addition, expanded markets and access to affordable and reliable electricity.
He said manufacturing and the wider industrial sector have become important contributors to Uganda’s economy.
According to figures presented by the minister, manufacturing contributes 16.5 percent to GDP, while the broader industrial sector contributes 27.2 percent.
He added that the industrial sector employs about 8.3 percent of the population, while manufactured exports account for 22.5 percent of total merchandise exports, generating an estimated $1.1 billion in earnings.
Manufacturing, he said, contributes more than Shs5 trillion in tax revenue annually.
Tanna said these figures demonstrate the importance of strengthening domestic production and expanding the country’s manufacturing base.
#Government identifies priority industries
The minister said Uganda’s industrial development strategy is focused on three broad categories of priority industries: agro-based, extractive-based and knowledge-intensive industries.
Agro-based industries include fruit processing, coffee, tea, honey, cassava, textiles, grains, sugar, poultry, fish, dairy and leather.
Extractive-based industries include iron and steel, gold, copper, plastics, synthetic products, petrochemicals, cement and clinker, salt and fertilisers.
Knowledge-intensive industries include automobiles, pharmaceuticals, electrical products and electronics.
The strategy is intended to encourage greater value addition to locally available raw materials while creating jobs and expanding Uganda’s export base.
#Government targets increased value addition
Tanna said government is working to increase production capacity by upgrading technology and machinery, supporting industrial research and attracting investment in modern manufacturing techniques.
He said particular attention is being given to industries capable of processing locally available raw materials.
Among the priority areas are iron and steel, cement, phosphates, copper, packaging, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and textiles.
The government also plans to strengthen linkages between farmers and processors through arrangements such as contract farming.
Industrial clusters are also being promoted to encourage cooperation, innovation and the development of integrated manufacturing chains.
Tanna said existing manufacturers would also be supported to expand into secondary and tertiary manufacturing, allowing more products to be processed locally rather than exported in raw form.
#Eight industrial parks operational
The government is also using regional industrial parks as part of its strategy to promote manufacturing.
Tanna said Uganda currently has eight operational industrial parks.
Industrial parks are intended to provide businesses with infrastructure and an environment in which manufacturers can operate closer to supporting services, suppliers and markets.
The government hopes such infrastructure will help reduce production costs while attracting both domestic and foreign investment.
## **Government seeks cheaper industrial power**
Energy costs remain a major concern for manufacturers, particularly businesses that require large amounts of electricity.
Tanna said government has reduced electricity tariffs for high-energy industrial users to five US cents per kilowatt-hour.
He added that resources have been earmarked to improve electricity transmission infrastructure and increase the reliability of power supply.
Reliable and affordable electricity is regarded as an important factor in improving the competitiveness of Ugandan manufacturers, particularly as local companies compete with imported products and manufacturers in other countries.
## **Finance remains a key focus**
The minister also highlighted government efforts to improve access to financing for manufacturers.
He said businesses can access asset finance, term loans, structured trade and commodity finance and equity investment through institutions such as the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), Uganda Development Bank (UDB) and other financial institutions.
Tanna said UDB’s cumulative capital is currently about Shs1.6 trillion, while government has set a target of increasing UDC’s capitalisation to Shs5 trillion within five years.
The financing initiatives are intended to provide manufacturers with access to longer-term capital needed to purchase machinery, expand production and develop new industrial projects.
## **Government promotes local manufacturing**
The minister also pointed to the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) initiative as an important component of the industrialisation strategy.
The programme is intended to create greater opportunities for locally manufactured products in the domestic market.
Tanna said government was also working to expand market opportunities through regional and continental trade arrangements, including the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said AfCFTA provides access to a continental market of about 1.4 billion consumers and economic activity estimated at more than $3 trillion.
For Ugandan manufacturers, expanded markets could provide opportunities to increase production and achieve economies of scale.
#Government pushes digitalisation
Tanna said he had directed management at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to accelerate the digitisation of ministry services.
The move is intended to improve service delivery, reduce bureaucratic delays and make government services more accessible to businesses.
He cited initiatives such as online trade services and the E-Single Window as examples of efforts to streamline business processes.
The government is also providing incentives to prospective investors as part of efforts to attract investment into priority industrial sectors.
## **Regional Industrialisation Conference**
The minister made the remarks while highlighting preparations for the third Regional Industrialization Conference (RIC), which is scheduled to take place in Uganda on September 18 and 19, 2026.
The conference is being convened by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), in partnership with AGRA Uganda and other regional stakeholders.
PSFU invited the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to provide political and technical leadership in coordinating preparations for the conference.
The RIC is designed as a platform for governments, private-sector players, investors and development partners to discuss Africa’s industrial transformation.
The organisers intend to move beyond policy discussions and focus on practical measures that can translate industrial ambitions into investment and coordinated regional action.
#Industrial Champions Dialogue
One of the key activities planned for RIC 2026 will be the Industrial Champions Dialogue.
The session will bring together African business leaders and investors with experience in building large-scale enterprises in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy and industrial finance.
The discussions are expected to focus on how African businesses can build globally competitive manufacturing enterprises, mobilise long-term capital and overcome structural barriers to industrial growth.
Participants will also examine opportunities for developing regional production ecosystems and using AfCFTA to expand African industrial enterprises.
The dialogue will further consider how national industrial policies can be better coordinated with the broader East African Community Industrialization Policy for 2021–2031.
#Call for businesses to participate
Tanna called on Uganda’s business community to participate actively in the conference and take advantage of opportunities arising from regional integration and industrial investment.
He specifically encouraged organisations including the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) and Federation of Uganda Tourism Associations (FUTA) to participate.
He said greater participation by the private sector would help ensure that Uganda’s industrialisation agenda responds to the needs and opportunities facing businesses.
Tanna also urged Ugandan businesses to take advantage of market opportunities within the East African Community and the wider African market.
#Industrial transformation agenda
The government’s industrialisation programme is linked to its broader Tenfold Growth Strategy and the targets under the National Development Plan IV.
Tanna said industrial manufacturing would be central to the ambition of establishing a $500 billion economy within 14 years.
The strategy places emphasis on what government describes as ATMS, alongside increased production, value addition, market access and investment in infrastructure.
For Uganda to achieve these ambitions, however, businesses will need access to finance, energy, infrastructure, technology and markets.
The planned National Industries Register and NIMIS could provide government with a stronger information base from which to identify these needs and direct resources.
#Conclusion
The development of the National Industries Register and NIMIS marks an effort by government to address longstanding gaps in industrial information while strengthening evidence-based planning.
By establishing a central database on the location, capacity, output and operational status of manufacturing enterprises, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives expects to improve coordination and the targeting of government interventions.
At the same time, the government is pursuing a broader package of measures covering industrial parks, affordable electricity, access to finance, digital services, local procurement and regional market access.
As Uganda prepares to host the third Regional Industrialization Conference in September, the government hopes to use the gathering to strengthen cooperation between policymakers, investors and businesses and accelerate the country’s transition towards a more value-adding and export-oriented economy.
