The official groundbreaking ceremony for a new security document printing factory took place in Entebbe on Wednesday. With the start of production planned for end of 2023, Uganda is set to become one of the few African countries with such a state-of-the-art factory, equipped with all requirements for today’s printed security products.
About 150 guests participated in the ceremony, including the Minister for the Presidency, H. E. Babirye Milly Babalanda and important members of the Board of Directors of the Uganda Security Printing Company (USPC).
USPC was set up in 2018 as a joint venture between the state-owned Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) and Veridos, a German provider of integrated identity solutions, to combine their security document expertise. The establishment of a local security document production facility in Uganda is another milestone in the 14-year collaboration to provide next generation documents to citizens.
The factory in Entebbe will supply all security documents to the Government of Uganda. It will enable the government to provide its citizens with the requested printed security products in an independent manner and strengthen the local economy. As a partner, Veridos will provide access to the very latest advances in digital identity and security document technologies. In total, the factory will provide local residents with more than 100 additional highly qualified jobs.
“We are pleased that Uganda will be one of the few African countries with such a state-of-the-art factory,” stated Tobias Nuessle, COO of Veridos. “As a shareholder, we are delighted to provide a best-practice example of a public-private partnership where both shareholders share the same aims and work together in a trusting and equal way. The know-how transfer and local production scale clearly demonstrate the potential for further European and African cooperations.”
“When completed, this factory will be a great achievement for all Ugandans,” the Minister for the Presidency, H. E. Babirye Milly Babalanda, adds.