Speaker Rebecca Kadaga is committed to ensuring that there is funding that is needed for the implementation of the Sugar Act 2020.
According to the Speaker, a board of directors should be appointed according to the law which needs funding for adequate implementation.
“We are going to ensure that during this budget cycle, we make a provision for some money to start the board and the other activities,” said Kadaga.
The Speaker made this commitment while on a visit to Smart Start Industries (EA) Ltd in Masindi district on Wednesday, 14 October 2020. The industry processes sugarcane into spirit related products.
The Speaker was accompanied on the visit by the Kyabazinga of Busoga, HRH William Gabula Nadiope IV. The visit was intended boost trade relations between Busoga and Bunyoro sub-regions.
Kadaga said there is need to seek markets for Uganda’s sugarcane farmers and sugar processors beyond the East African region. She also called for removal of tariff barriers and also tapping into the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.
“We also need to promote value addition to our sugarcane and look into other by-products so that we can enter the market with processed goods,” Kadaga added.
The Speaker added that Parliament will support the Ministry of Energy to come up with regulations that will aim at promoting the use of bio-fuels which would in turn will improve the drive for environmental conservation.
Masindi District Woman MP, Hon. Jalia Bintu applauded the Speaker for advocating for sugarcane farmers through parliamentary legislation especially through the Sugar Act and called for further legislation to promote the crop.
“We need a Sugarcane Bill that will regulate the crop just like we have the Coffee Act and the Tea Act. The seed for sugarcane is brought in from countries like Tanzania and this needs to change,” said Jalia Bintu.
The proprietor of Smart Start Industries (EA) Ltd, David Byensi commended Parliament for doing away with zoning in the Sugar Act which he said has benefitted sugarcane farmers in selling their cane across the country.
He added that his factory can now adequately add value to sugarcane by manufacturing other by-products like spirits for commercial and industrial use.
“We intend to produce ethanol that can power Uganda’s engines given that it is also used in manufacturing fuel. We have a spirit plant and we plan to procure a processor to increase the percentage to 99.8 per cent. This can be used in bio-fuel manufacture,” Byensi said.
He also called for Government support to Uganda Development Bank (UDB), which can provide affordable loans to local investors to boost the industrial sector.