MBARARA-The Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi has advised traders in Mbarara to form cooperatives in order to dictate the market for their products.
The minister made the call on Friday during a business symposium hosted by Mbarara City Council in partnership with Mbarara City Traders Association [MBACITA] at Igongo Cultural Centre.
The symposium was held as part of Mbarara City Festival where different activities were held to celebrate three years since Mbarara Municipality became city.
The symposium attracted government institutions like; Uganda Revenue Authority [URA], Uganda National Bureau of Standards [UNBS], Uganda Registration Services Bureau [URSB], bankers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors and successful private business partners in Mbarara City.
Minister Ntabazi encouraged the traders to organise themselves into cooperatives so that they negotiate with one voice while selling their products.
“When you produce jointly, you negotiate prices together. Always avoid a business where the customer dictates the prices and market,” she said.
She also advised the unemployed youth to use the little capital they have to tap into small business opportunities.
She said: “After my graduation from Makerere University, I started as a micro trader on of tomatoes and onions with a capital of Shs 300,000. I then used my food to start a catering service, and then I added decorations. I ended up in parliament and I am now a minister.”
For Mbarara City to sustain its growth, Ntabazi challenged its population to join services and production sectors to generate income that will foster further development.
“For you to be comfortable in a city, you must have either a service that you are providing or a product that you are giving out for you to receive cash,” she said.
Ntabazi pledged UNBS, which falls under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives would open up a regional office Mbarara City in to enforce standards in productive sectors.
She said Mbarara City has the potential to grow faster than any other city in Uganda in the next five years, including Kampala due to the available market in neighbouring like DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi.
On her part, Amelia Kyambadde, the senior presidential advisor on industry and trade challenged the business community in Greater Mbarara to make good use of the government agencies to address their challenges.
“All the ministries and agencies like URA, UNBS, and URSB support entrepreneurs. They are there to support your businesses than lamentation all the time,” said Kyambadde.
Ben Patrick Twahirwe, workers’ councillor for Mbarara City said, “We were privileged to have such a business symposium where successful business speakers were able to share with our traders. Traders were able to get information on how they can improve their businesses.”
Simon Mwijuka, chairman MBACITA appealed to the government to start giving incentives like tax holidays to local entrepreneurs rather than favouring only foreign investors.
https://thecooperator.news/tororo-coffee-farmers-receive-farm-tools-urged-to-form-cooperatives/
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