Why Uganda-DRC business summit, Expo is place to be

By Duncan Abigaba

On May 30, 2022, a delegation of 200 Ugandan businessmen and women will descend on Kinshasha, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for a 10-day hunting expedition for markets, investment opportunities, partnerships, equity, etc.
 
They will be attending the inaugural Uganda-DRC summit, organised by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Export and Industrial Development (PACIED), chaired by Mr Odrek Rwabwogo, who doubles as the Presidential Advisor for Special Duties. 

DRC is a country of interest due to its recent gains. It is the latest kid on the East African Community bloc, bringing a 90 million people market and a $50 billion economy to the bloc. The recent joint Operation Shujaa of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo has driven the Allied Democratic Forces terrorists out of their strongholds in the Eastern DRC and annihilated most of their traditional bases, opening up the vast region for Ugandan goods. 

DRC is one of Uganda’s biggest trading partners. Our exports to Africa’s second largest country have increased over the years from $188 million to $338 million in 2021 despite the disruptions by COVID-19 and Non-Tariff Barriers. Uganda’s main exports to DRC include; cement, palm oil, beer, sugar, iron and steel, and rice.

Succeeding the Business Summit will be the Uganda-DRC Investment Promotion Summit and Market Access Expo scheduled for June 27-29, 2022, in Kinshasa. The expo whose preparations are ongoing under the leadership of Minister of State for Investment, Anite Evelyn and the Director General of Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Robert Mukiza, will lead 200 business entities from Uganda, to show case their potential, tap into the opportunities in DRC, and lure their Congolese counterparts to invest here. The Market Access Expo will build on the momentum and goodwill of the Business Summit happening this weekend. 

Uganda and DRC are already engaged in several joint projects in Trade, Tourism, Transport and Security sectors. Some of these include; the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP) and Regional Integration Implementation Programme (RIIP), which are COMESA projects in three partner states of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC, and implemented by Ministry of Trade, with funding from the World Bank, with the aim of reducing the business costs and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) for small scale traders doing business across the borders. 
 
The second joint project is development of border export zones. The project has supported the 2010 Border Export Zone Programme of Government of Uganda to establish border export zones at various strategic borders of Uganda and to increase her exports into the EAC and COMESA regional markets. 

Some of the developed border zones include; Busia, Lwakhakha, Oraba and Katuna. This will provide a platform for traders with space for temporary storage as they seek buyers across the border. With the support from Ministry of Trade, this is expected to be replicated at the Uganda-DRC border to support trade, and the Government is calling upon the private sector for partnership in developing these border zones.
 
In tourism and conservation, Uganda and DRC are already collaborating under the Greater Virunga-Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) agreement that was signed in 2015 among DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, as a framework of programmes, plans and activities to conserve a network of trans-boundary protected areas in Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL).

This agreement was boosted by the DRC joining the East African Community in March. GVL was established to enable the three partner states sustain and conserve the shared resources within the GVL and as an important programme for endemic, threatened and migratory species. 

In September, 2020, Cabinet of Uganda approved the construction and upgrading of the national roads inside the eastern DRC, from Kasindi section (border) to Beni city (80km) and the integration of the Beni-Butembo axis (54km) to national road; and the Bunagana (border) –Ruchuru-Goma road (89km) on grounds that the project will benefit the Government and people of Uganda through the economic interconnectivity that would improve mobility and ease of business, people to people interconnectivity of the two countries, security and trade and investment. In June, 2021, the Heads of State of both countries launched the construction works at Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border. 

Sidelines of the Business Summit will host the eighth Joint Permanent Commission; a ministerial level multi-sectoral meeting that will review progress of the joint projects between two countries, decide on key joint matters, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding on mutually agreed engagements. 

In less than five years, the trade between Uganda and DRC is projected to hit $1.5 billion, owing it to improved security and infrastructure that will open up vast markets. Therefore, aspirations of every member of our business community should be tapping into opportunities presented by both the Summit and Expo.

The writer is Assistant Director, Government Citizen Interaction Centre, State House