President Yoweri Museveni has said that there is no way Africa can industrialize without solving the issue of lowering costs of doing business including provision of improved infrastructure, electricity, cost of money and quality labour force.
“Industrialization will not take place if we don’t deal with the basics. There is no way we can industrialize without solving the issue of lowering costs of doing business. UNIDO might not have the money to do this, but if we are harmonious in thinking and speak with one voice, we can unlock this potential,” he said.
The President was today meeting the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Li Yong who called on him at his Residence at the Intercontinental Hotel in Yokohama, Japan at the sidelines of the 7th TICAD Conference.
“It is good people are talking about this now. Before, it was only about social issues such as health and education. How do you maintain health and education sustainably without money and jobs,” he said.
President Museveni said Africa is slowly addressing the issue of a fragmented market through integration to support industrialization and promoting infrastructure development including railway, waterways and electricity.
Li Yong, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) commended President Museveni for his support towards the 3rd Industrialization Revolution for Africa and said he believes that Africa must industrialize to fulfill its economic potential.
He urged President Museveni to raise the visibility of SDG, in particular, goal 9 that confirms the importance of industrialization in achieving the much-needed structural transformation for long-term inclusive and sustainable development in developing countries.
Mr. Yong said through the new operations model of multi-stakeholder partnership, the Programme for Country Partnership (PCP), UNIDO will support industrialization strategies and development of Uganda in line with the country’s programmes. He invited the President to two high level meetings on industrial development in New York and Abu Dhabi later this year. Uganda will be represented by high-level government delegations to both.
