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In order to oversee Uganda’s trade activities overseas, the government intends to establish a sophisticated, sustainable national digital platform and ecosystem, according to Matthew Bagonza, head of operations at the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID).

The chairman of PACEID and senior presidential advisor on special duties, Odrek Rwabwogo (C), said digitization is key to the growth of Uganda’s exports.

He made this statement at a stakeholder orientation workshop organized by PACEID on Wednesday in Kampala for government ministries, departments, and agencies. The purpose of the workshop was to provide an update on the development of TradeXchange, a platform designed to transform digital exports, which is being developed by Technology Associates. 

According to Bagonza, there will be a sharing of the strategy, processes, and resources utilized for the requirements gathering and needs assessment stages.

President Yoweri Museveni launched PACEID in March 2022, with the goal of increasing Uganda’s current export revenue by an additional $6 billion by 2028.

“To manage Uganda’s cross-border trade activities, we hope to establish an advanced sustainable national digital platform and ecosystem,” he stated.

According to Odrek Rwabwogo, senior presidential advisor on special duties and chairman of PACEID, digitization is essential to Uganda’s export growth.

The speaker emphasized the importance of adopting digital technologies to enhance Uganda’s export sector, stating that “it creates opportunities for innovation and value addition, two crucial factors for the growth of the country’s export industry.”

In order to support exporters, clear trade obstacles, and simply adhere to international trade standards, PACEID strategically collaborated with Technology Associates and CargoX to create TradeXchange, a digital export transformation platform. Uganda has set an ambitious goal to double its export revenue by 2028.

Rwabwogo (C) also said TradeXchange will help streamline processes and enhance information flow among farmers, producers, traders, and Ugandan government bodies.

Additionally, Rwabwogo stated that TradeXchange will improve information sharing and process streamlining between Ugandan government agencies, farmers, producers, and traders. 

Uganda’s foreign earnings from the 13 key products that PACEID has prioritized—coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables, beef, dairy, vanilla, grains, sugar, fish, banana flour, flowers, tourism, cement, and steel—are expected to increase to $6 billion in the next five years and $100 billion in 2062.

In order to identify off-takers of the 13 priority exports, PACEID’s communications officer, Rowland Bon Nkahebwa, said that the organization has organized a series of trade, investment, and tourism summits that have been held in different nations throughout East Africa, the rest of Africa, and the world.

“Instead of merely searching for new markets, the committee actively and deliberately pursues them, with each member having a mental stake in seeing that these markets are satisfied,” he stated.

In the DR Congo, where Uganda exported goods valued at $267.19 million as of two years ago, PACEID has arranged nearly ten trade missions so far. These have taken place in South Sudan in July 2022, the UK in September 2022, the US in December 2022, and South Africa in February 2023.

He stated, “These are some of the other markets where PACEID appointed a trade representative (TR) in each and made a strong case for Uganda’s exports.”

He said that TRs receive no compensation at all. He said, “They were chosen because of their individuality, enthusiasm, and interest in showcasing Ugandan goods and services, but above all, they share our chairman Rwabwogo’s vision for Uganda’s exports and economy as a whole.”

Nkahebwa added that during these summits, trade experts, exporters, and panelists participate in business-to-business meetings, exhibitions, and networking opportunities where public and private sector participants network, share opportunities, and devise strategies to market Ugandan goods and services abroad and draw in potential investors. 

“The TRs provide technical expertise to help Uganda penetrate new regional and international export markets,” he stated.