The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, held discussions today with officials from the Indian Business Forum, led by the forum's Director General, Rajesh Kumar.
Col. Nakalema assured the delegation that SHIPU, established in May 2023 by President Yoweri Museveni, is committed to creating a transparent, corruption-free investment environment in Uganda.
“We ensure that no investor is delayed during the process of investing in Uganda by protecting them from fraudsters, coordinating investigations of all investor-related complaints, and supporting an investor-friendly dispute resolution environment,” Col. Nakalema said. “We ensure that the investment process is smooth and quick.”
To further simplify processes, SHIPU introduced the Uganda Electronic Investors Protection Portal, which helps investors navigate the system. The portal provides access to authentic government sources, facilitates reporting of inquiries and complaints, and ensures robust follow-up and feedback mechanisms.
“This online solution ensures that the investors do due diligence before investing in Uganda,” she added.
Kumar highlighted the forum's role under the Indian Association Uganda, which supports business development and networking for Indians and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in Uganda. He underscored the significant contributions of the Indian community to Uganda's economy through investments and taxes.
He expressed the community’s readiness to invest further in value addition across sectors like mining, textiles, cocoa, coffee, and solar energy.
“Uganda is the best place to invest due to the favourable investment environment and the good leadership of President Yoweri Museveni,” Kumar said.
He also called for a stronger working relationship between the Indian Business Forum and SHIPU to encourage further investments.
Manish Kalla, Treasurer of the Indian Business Forum, echoed these sentiments, emphasising their interest in adding value to Uganda’s raw materials, particularly agro-products.
In response, Col. Nakalema promised to engage stakeholders to address their concerns. “I will not stop at talking; as a soldier, I believe in implementation,” she stated.
The meeting was also attended by former Attorney General Fred Ruhindi and Hiromi Abe, the Private Secretary to the President in charge of Investment Matters.