VP Alupo flags off Busoga delegation to China

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The Vice President, Jessica Alupo, has flagged off a high-powered delegation under the Busoga Development Consortium to China.

 The delegation is led by the Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of EAC Affairs, and His Royal Highness the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Gabula IV.

The team is expected to depart on July 3 and July 6 for China for the establishment cooperation between Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD) and Liaoning Province of China.

While flagging off the team, VP Alupo asked the delegation to use this cooperation to further contribute to the improvement of our National trade volumes to close the China-Uganda trade deficit gap for a more balanced bilateral trade exchange.

She guided the team to focus on bilateral trade and investment because it is one of the ways the country can attain mutually beneficial international bilateral relations to the full benefit of our people.

“Busoga and Uganda at large must therefore aim at building capacity to offer products to the China-Uganda trade exchanges so as to make the cooperation beneficial to our people,” Alupo said.

Alupo encouraged the delegation to make the best use of the already established trade links with Liaoning Province in China, by building capacity to have some tradable items for export market to China.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Uganda’s bilateral trade volume with China has experienced significant growth to a tune of $1.3 Billion by last year.

Alupo tasked the delegation to attract companies from China to come and invest in value addition of coffee and tea as they embark on the strategic journey of enhancing the glory of Busoga region.

She explained that Ugandans must be continuously guided on the need for maintenance of adequate quantities, standards, quality and sustainability in production and productivity to meet the international market demands.

The vice president, also MP for Katakwi district said the Consortium should work closely with the Busoga Kingdom, faith-based institutions, Government MDAs, to maximise the benefits to all the grassroot people.

“Capacity building and mindset change. Our people should transition from subsistence lifestyles to commercially viable enterprises. They should be helped to fully embrace ICT for business, registering of trading companies, management of simple books of accounts,” she said.

The VP noted that there are four sectors that the NRM Government has identified as a source of jobs and wealth, including Commercial agriculture, Industry/Manufacturing, Services and I.C.T.

Alupo commended BDC for its unique and special contributions to the socioeconomic transformation of our Nation. (Courtesy Photos)

She urged the delegation to explore all the above sectors in our engagement with China for the sake of the transformation of our people.

She commended BDC for its unique and special contributions to the socioeconomic transformation of our Nation.

Alupo emphasized that in June 2021 shortly after her commencement of service as Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, the then newly appointed cabinet was oriented by H. E. the President on the Government strategic direction.

The vice president noted that prominent from the President’s message was the need to guide the whole country and specifically sub-regions of Uganda that had failed the Country from transiting to middle-income status by 2020.

Alupo was glad to note that we are already making tremendous progress in steering the whole Country including Busoga Sub-region to the Middle-Income Status as recently confirmed in March 2024 by the United Nations that Uganda had met the requirements to be categorized as a lower middle-income Country.

She appreciated the leaders and people of Busoga for working closely with the Office of the Vice President under the Busoga Consortium for Development as a unique vehicle for steering regional cohesion, strategic coordination of development efforts and complimenting the aspirations of His Royal Highness the Kyabazinga for building a prosperous people of Busoga.

The acknowledged and appreciated the role of H.E Zhang Lizhong the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, our Goodwill Ambassador Mr. Zhang Hao, the Ministry of Local Government, the entire leadership of the Busoga Consortium for Development, Busoga Kingdom, the inter-religious council, for their contributions towards the smooth start of the implementation of our 10-year Busoga Consortium Development Agenda.

While representing the Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the Patron of BDC at the flag-off ceremony in Kampala, the Rt. Hon. Rukia Nakadama, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister said the Uganda-Busoga delegation to Liaoning province and Guangdong province will sign a five-year cooperation agreement with a focus on; education, trade and commerce, tourism promotion and agriculture, among others.

Nakadama is also the chairperson of the Busoga Consortium Ministerial Coordination Committee.