Browsing: Uganda

Airtel was ranked as the leading data speed provider with slightly above 14 megabits per second (Mbps) a report from the latest Quality of Service study (QoS) released by the telecom regulator.

According to the Uganda Communications Commission, the Quality of Service study (QoS was carried out to determine telecom performance in success, blocked call rates and dropped call rates and data speeds described as throughput (speed).

The report indicates that telecoms in Uganda registered the highest speeds in rural areas and slower speeds in the urban and peri-urban.

Also Read: Data, mobile money steer Airtel’s revenue growth

From the study, the Airtel network was the quickest in nearly every jurisdiction.
For instance, in an area where Airtel had an average speed of 14mbps, MTN was slightly above 4mbps and 3mbps.

Last year, Airtel Africa embarked on an exercise aimed at boosting the company’s infrastructure to upgrade its internet. The …

At least seven million people in Uganda will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030, according to a study by Brookings Institute.

The study contained in the Foresight Africa 2020 reveals that Uganda will not able to achieve the number one Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) which seeks to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.

The study highlights priorities for Africa in 2020 to 2030. Dr Brahima Coulibaly, the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution senior fellow and director, said by 2030, Africa will have 397.9 million people living in extreme poverty, out of which 7.6 million will be in Uganda.

Also Read: Will events in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, bring financial and political freedom this decade?

He said that by 2030, all Sub Saharan Africa countries, are expected to make some progress towards SDGs. However, by 2030, 18 countries out of 44 will get less than halfway to the …

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) limited some products from custom warehousing at the port of entry which forced a drop in warehouse leasing activity during the second half of 2019.

This is according to a Knight Frank report which pointed out that impact by statutory directives saw varied activity in the retail segment of real estate, during the period URA issued a list of goods that would not be eligible for customs warehousing at the point of entry.

According to the report, the net effect of this meant that traders would have to import goods, pay taxes immediately and then transport them to the final destination.

Also Read: Uganda leads EAC in ease of forex access

“The change in operations will no longer allow traders to keep certain items in bonded warehouses,” the report reads in part.

Some of the lists of goods included building materials, sugar, wines and spirits, motor …

The East African Community (EAC) is regressing with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania leading the pack.

It is gross discouragement to hardworking East Africans who are seeing their countries’ economies continue on a downward trend despite the much-hailed talk of GDP growth.

Coupled with unfavourable economic conditions globally, the EAC economies are degenerating, leading to chaotic disruptions of livelihoods of the majority poor.

Kenya’s debts, theft of public resources

Kenya is East Africa’s economic hub but with the goings-on lately, it seems like the centre is no longer holding.

A Gallup International annual End of Year Survey released in 2002 showed that Kenyans were the most optimistic people on earth and in 2019 the Global Optimism Outlook Survey found that 70 per cent of Kenyans viewed themselves as optimists.

This average was above the global standing at 56 per cent and continental Africa’s average of 64 per cent.

For a country …

Uganda leads East Africa in ease of access to foreign exchange, according to Absa Africa Financial Market Index 2019.

According to the index, Uganda scored 70 out of 100 points compared to Rwanda with 66, Kenya with 65 and Tanzania with 60. Burundi was not surveyed.

Foreign exchange access continues to be a pillar growth across the African continent.

Also Read: Uganda Umeme secures $70m loan for investment

The Absa Africa Financial Markets Index highlights economies with the clearest growth prospects and evaluates financial market development in 20 countries.

The index seeks to show how economies can improve market frameworks to meet investor expectations and sustainable growth.

“Uganda performs strongly … with almost the same score as top-ranked South Africa. It has a high level of foreign reserves relative to net portfolio investment flows and enough reserves to cover more than four months of imports,” said Mr Jeff Gable, the …

President Yoweri Museveni got assurance on Uganda’s beef exports to Britain and a commitment of $19.6 million funding at the UK-Africa Investment Summit.

The funding pledge is part of a $419 million UK Aid package for the 21 countries invited to the investment Summit.

The funding is intended to start a new phase of financial sector development (FSD) across Africa, to increase the existing financial sector programmes, set up and scale up new FSDs in high priority markets, including Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and the West African Monetary Union.

The State House of Uganda said that President Museveni held a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the summit with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Also Read: Uganda Development Bank unveils $500 million plan for lending

President Museveni asked UK’s prime minister to encourage more British firms to invest in Uganda, saying that the country has vast investment opportunities in the …

Government officials who nabbed the Lato milk were acting on directions from the presidency…

Uganda Development Bank (UDB) unveiled a four-year strategic plan of $500 million to provide long-term financing to the private sector.

Despite efforts from Uganda’s government of capitalising, the bank cannot meet the growing capital demand needed by the private sector. This is one of the reasons why the lender is seeking sovereign guarantees from Parliament and government to affect some of the endorsed financings from multilateral lenders such as African Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, French Development Organisation, Kuwait Fund, BADEA and EXIM Bank of India.

“UDB’s four-year strategic plan has three impact goals which include reducing the number of people living below the poverty line of $1.25 by 500,000 people by the year 2024, building sustainable food security by lending more to the agriculture sector and industrialisation,” said Mr Denis Ochieng the acting managing director UDB as he addressed Members of Parliament (MPs) on …

The East African Community has marked its 20^th Anniversary with pomp and fanfare at its Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

This comes as the community mulls over the inclusion of The Democratic Republic of Congo into the community, which would not only give the community a major population rise but also a coast to coast linking both the East African coast and the West African coast. Though the considerations are yet to be approved, policy analysts believe this move is a matter of when not if. However, there is still contention on whether to include the East most country, Somalia which has also expressed interest.

Uganda’s 2^nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EAC Affairs, Hon. Dr. Ali Kirunda Kivejinja, who presided over the anniversary celebration, said that EAC Partner States would not repeat the mistake of the past that led to the collapse of the first Community.

Dr. …

French business delegation of more than 25 companies will visit Uganda to explore business opportunities, invest in Uganda and create partnerships for trade.

According to a statement given by the French embassy in Uganda, the delegation will be in the country from 25th to 26th November 2019.

The business delegation is an initiative of MEDEF International – the French business confederation with 170,000 member companies and ten million employees.

The initiative is supported by the Ugandan embassy in Paris, the French embassy in Kampala and Ugandan authorities.

The business delegation will be led by Momar Nguer, Chairman of the Africa Committee of MEDEF International and President Marketing and Services and member of the Executive Committee of Total.

According to the statement from the embassy, the delegation will mainly discuss major opportunities and challenges affecting the country.

“The French companies are eager to develop their activities, partnerships, and investments in Uganda,” …