Uganda calls for practical rules to drive Africa’s digital single market
KAMPALA, October 15, 2026 — Uganda has called for the development of predictable rules and systems to enable businesses to trade seamlessly across African borders as the continent moves towards a digital single market.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna said Uganda must play an active role in shaping the policies and systems that will determine how African businesses participate in the digital economy.
“Our businesses need to reach customers beyond our borders, receive payment reliably, deliver their products efficiently and compete in a market they can trust,” Tanna said.
He was speaking on Thursday at the Uganda Media Centre ahead of the Africa Technology and Intellectual Property Symposium, scheduled for October 22–23, 2026, at Marriott Kampala under the theme, “Building Africa’s Digital Single Market: The Role of Government and the Private Sector in Achieving Regional Integration.”
The symposium is expected to bring together policymakers, regulators, business leaders, innovators and African e-commerce associations to discuss ways of translating regional and continental integration commitments into practical opportunities for businesses.
Tanna said the discussions should particularly benefit micro, small and medium-sized enterprises [MSMEs], women entrepreneurs and young people.
“We want the discussions in Kampala to translate regional and continental ambitions into practical opportunities for Ugandan enterprises, especially micro, small and medium-sized businesses, women entrepreneurs and young people,” he said.
The minister said digital trade supports Uganda’s Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, particularly its priorities on value addition, enterprise and cooperative development, export market access, e-commerce and the removal of trade barriers.
“Digital trade connects these priorities: it can help a cooperative find buyers, a manufacturer access regional distribution, and a creative entrepreneur earn from intellectual property across borders,” Tanna said.
He said the digital economy was also critical to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy and the country’s ambition to build a US$ 500 billion economy by 2040.
According to Tanna, expansion into regional and global markets is central to Uganda’s growth ambitions, while science, technology and innovation—including information and communications technology and the creative industries—are expected to drive economic transformation.
“Digital trade must therefore be part of how we increase the value and reach of Ugandan goods and services,” he said.
EAC integration
Tanna said Uganda’s membership of the East African Community [EAC] gives the country a direct stake in ensuring that regional integration delivers tangible benefits to businesses.
He said the EAC Customs Union Protocol provides a framework for customs integration, while the Common Market Protocol provides for the movement of goods, persons, labour, services and capital, as well as rights of establishment and residence.
“Our task is to make these integration commitments effective for businesses whose transactions increasingly begin online,” he said.
Tanna said businesses should be able to understand applicable rules, complete documentation and move eligible consignments across borders without unnecessary delays.
“A trader should be able to understand the applicable rules, complete the necessary documentation and move an eligible consignment across a border without avoidable delays,” he said.
He added that service providers should also be able to serve regional customers through predictable arrangements.
Achieving this, he said, requires closer cooperation among trade ministries, customs authorities, financial regulators, communications agencies and data protection institutions.
AfCFTA digital trade
At continental level, Tanna said the African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA] provides a framework for creating a more integrated African market.
He said its Protocol on Digital Trade establishes common principles and harmonised rules aimed at reducing barriers, promoting interoperability and creating a secure and trustworthy trading environment.
“The opportunity is to connect national reforms with regional systems and continental implementation,” he said.
The symposium will also feature a conversation with Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Tanna said Mene’s participation would connect the Kampala discussions to the institution responsible for supporting implementation of the continental trade agreement.
The symposium will examine barriers businesses face throughout the digital transaction process, including regional policy instruments, MSME participation, consumer protection, digital taxation, cybersecurity, intellectual property, cross-border payments, last-mile delivery and customs single windows.
“These issues are connected: an online sale only creates value when payment, clearance, delivery and customer protection work together,” Tanna said.
Cross-border payments, taxation
Tanna said Uganda’s priorities include establishing more predictable rules for cross-border digital business, improving payment and logistics systems across markets and developing customs processes suitable for smaller e-commerce consignments.
He also called for accessible consumer remedies, responsible handling of personal data and stronger protection of intellectual property.
On taxation, the minister said reforms should take into account competitiveness, compliance costs and the need for governments to mobilise public revenue.
He said the symposium would provide an opportunity to examine practical approaches to value-added tax, digital services taxation and customs.
“Taxation must be considered alongside competitiveness, compliance costs and the need to mobilise public revenue,” he said.
Tanna cautioned that discussions on proposed tax reforms should not be interpreted as decisions that have already been taken.
He similarly said discussions on payments and data should respect the mandates of relevant regulators and safeguards necessary to maintain public trust.
Government, private sector roles
Tanna said government has a responsibility to create a predictable operating environment and coordinate institutions, while the private sector should provide evidence of the obstacles businesses face and participate in developing and testing solutions.
“Uganda can exercise policy leadership by convening that evidence, advancing practical proposals through the EAC and AfCFTA processes, and demonstrating how integration can benefit enterprises of different sizes,” he said.
The symposium is expected to explore a memorandum of understanding between African e-commerce associations and the development of a joint policy paper outlining private-sector priorities for an integrated digital market.
Tanna said the proposed outcomes should be translated into specific recommendations, with clear identification of the institutions responsible for implementation and a defined sequence for follow-up.
He called on the business community, innovators and development partners to participate actively in the symposium.
“Uganda should emerge from this conversation with practical proposals that help our enterprises trade across Africa, create employment and retain more value from their innovation,” Tanna said.
“That is the contribution we must make to Africa’s digital single market.”
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