Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda have recorded higher dividends due to an initiative aimed at boosting Ugandan exports to the regional market. The initiative is a collaboration between an Irish NGO, Traidlinks, and the Ugandan Export Promotions Board (UEPB). Started in 2009, the Market linked Export Development Program was launched to generate regional export market penetration for products made by Ugandan manufacturers, as well as value addition processors. Roughly 42 SME members gathered in October at the Hotel African in the Ugandan city of Kampala to launch the Marketlinked Alumni, a forum for networking and sharing experiences that could help entrench them further in the regional market. The chief guest present was Uganda's Trade and Industry Minister, Amelia Kyambadde, which said the EAC common market was viable and anticipated that with more support Uganda's products could easily win significant market share within the integrated market. Official statistics have shown that the regional market is by far the most lucrative market for the SMEs, possibly because the overseas markets are dominated by multinational giants. Kyambadde said her ministry has been leading several projects to increase the volume of exports in order to keep in check the escalating emport-export deficit. “We need to have SMEs under one umbrella,” she said. “They shouldn't be scattered that is why we want to affect the work of the recent proposed Directorate.” The success of the project is due in part to a focused market research for the products of participating Ugandan companies and a dedicated sales mission bringing together competitors from different markets to discuss networking. The program is likely to generate at least 30 million in export earnings during the course of the program, according to the program officials. Uganda's regional market is the largest consumer for Ugandan businesses. In 2010, the Eastern and Southern Africa region provided Uganda with 791 million dollars in exports, representing 49 percent of the total Ugandan exports. The European Union imported roughly 365 million dllars worth of goods, which accounts for roughly 23 percent. With continued support from Traidlinks, company officials believe they can continue the growth pattern, generating wealth and employment. BM
