Hundreds of entrepreneurs from over 30 countries are in Uganda's capital Kampala, showcasing their products and services at the country's International Trade Fair aimed at promoting regional trade.

At the venue of the trade exhibition, music is blaring as hundreds of people ranging from the business community to students lining up to enter the grounds.

According to the organizers of the trade fair, Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), the theme of this year's event is "promotion of regional trade."

"By participating in this trade fair, one will have made a direct entry into the regional market which includes the three east African countries (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania), Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan," said Hillary Obonyo, the executive director UMA.

Obonyo said that participants have a latitude to reach the regions by interacting with the foreign exhibitors. He said that they will have a chance to market their products through the trade fair.

The products and services at the shoe range from agricultural equipment, machinery, foods and beverages, textiles, clothing, telecommunications and information technology, banking and insurance, chemical and petro-chemical, building construction and housing technology, tourism and rubber products.

Business networking

A total of 720 exhibitors are attending this year's trade exhibition. These include both local and foreign with 240 being from foreign countries. Among the countries participating in the fair include Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, China, India, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Austria and South Africa.

The event has attracted exhibitors from countries and regions that have never been represented like, southern Sudan, Nepal and Jordan.

With this number of exhibitors, entrepreneurs will be able to strike business deals and share experiences.

"It is an opportunity for business people to interact, share ideas and strike deals with people from other countries," said Obonyo.

Francis Kirudde, an official from Madhvani Group of Companies, told Xinhua that they have made contacts with potential clients in the eastern African region who want to start selling the companies products.

"Among the many contacts we have made, we talked to a potential client who has expressed interest in exporting our sugar product to Kenya," said Kirudde.

Another company, Roofings Limited of Uganda told Xinhua that the trade fair has helped them to explain to their potential clients on how to tell the difference of their products from other products on the market.

Targeting regional trade

As the theme of the trade fair states, promotion of regional trade, Ugandan manufactures are now targeting the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for East and Central Africa (COMESA).

Statistics from the country's Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry indicate that in 2004, there was a major shift in Uganda's market take, with the COMESA overtaking the European Union as the top destination of the country's total exports.

The country's top five regional destinations for its manufactured exports in order of ranking were Rwanda, the Republic of the Congo, Kenya, the DRC and Tanzania.

Together, they accounted for 45 million US dollars or 60 percent of manufactured export market for Uganda.

Compared to 2002, the country's manufactured exports to Rwanda rose by 39 percent, Congo Brazzaville 32 percent, Kenya 89 percent and the DRC 34 percent.

Congo Brazzaville ranks 9th and DRC ranks 12th on the list of Uganda's top world destinations.

A marketing executive of Roofings Limited, Daneil Maaka, told Xinhua that the company exports most of its products to Congo Brazzaville and the DRC, while Abraham Kiprotich of East African Portland Cement Limited, said that they want to establish a branch in southern Sudan.

"We are working on establishing a branch in the southern Sudan town of Juba, so that we can enter the potential market there," said Kiprotich.

He noted that East African Portland Cement Company Limited has now got the capacity of producing 552,000 tons of cement per annum, supplying the COMESA market.

However, the security situation especially in the Great Lakes region continues to threaten manufacturers' businesses as they are not certain of their delivery trucks or their clients. For instance, some business people have raised concern over the security situation in eastern DRC. They said that the bad security situation there has distorted trade in the region.

The poor infrastructure in the region also continues to increase the production costs of manufacturers.

Most of the road networks in the region are not good to ease the fast delivery of products.

Manufacturers have also complained of the constantly increasing fuel prices which also lead to the increase of cost of production.

"The increase in fuel prices has also affected us because transporting our products from Kenya to Uganda is quite expensive because of the fuel," said Kiprotich.

Source: Xinhua