President Museveni unveils a plaque to symbolize the new PET line at Namanve on
Tuesday.
“We can have raw materials here instead of
importing pulp from Kenya. We can encourage farmers to grow fruits
including mangoes, its’ not a problem. Just tell us the type. We have
good seeds which mature in a few months,” he said.
The President said this on Tuesday while
commissioning a US$26million Century Bottlers Petline and the upgraded
bottling plant at the Coca Cola factory in Namanve, Kampala. Coca Cola
has over the last 12 years invested over Shs 431billion in Uganda with
US$4million invested in small scale local fruit farmers to produce
mangoes and passion fruits to sustainable supply the juice business with
raw materials.
“Those who sell mangoes can get an income and in
turn buy coca cola. There should be a vertical integration from raw
materials to production,” he said.
The President urged workers and Ugandans at
large to have a positive attitude towards investments by foreigners
saying these are Ugandan factories because Ugandans are the main
beneficiaries of such investments.
“Like I told you when we were laying a
foundation stone for this factory, don’t change your attitudes
(Temwekuba ndobo). Don’t say these factories are for Bazungu or Indians.
Those peoples factories are in India and Europe. These are our
factories and we are only using the investors to build our country,” he
said adding that while the company makes a profit of about US$100million
annually, some of that money is retained in Uganda through paying
salaries, paying for water and electricity and now promoting local
farmers.
“We are squeezing money from these people so
that we can build our country. They are now getting pulp from Kenya but
am going to stop that as well. We have mangoes in Arua, Kasese, Luwero
etc. we promote that so that we block them from taking money to Kenya,”
he said.
The President urmaking the investors happy, adding that private
sector led growth is the country using entrepreneurs to create wealth
when there is nothing. He hailed Century Bottling Company for having
faith in investing in Uganda and helping to repair the industrial sector
which had got into problems during Amin’s time.
On the issue excise duty levied on the company’s
production as raised by the Managing Director Norton Kingwill, the
president promised to look into the issue adding the possibility of
taxing consumption as opposed to production may be considered as an
alternative.
The President for Coca Cola Central and West
Africa Kelvin Balogun said the company plans to double its investment in
Africa and has already invested over US$6 billion in the past decade
and plans to invest another 12 billion dollars by 2020. He commended
government for providing an investment friendly environment that has
made them grow and expand their investment.
The Chairman at Coca-Cola Sabco (PTY) Ltd
Philipp Hugo Gutsche hailed the President for his support to Uganda’s
economic growth and praised him for maintain peace in Uganda to allow
for industrial development.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of
State for Trade, Industries and Cooperatives Hon. David Wakikona, State
Minister for Youth and Children Affairs Ronald Kibuule, State Minister
for Industry Dr. James Mutende and the State Minister of Finance
(Investment) Eng. Dr. Gabriel Ajedra.
ged the workers to jealously guard the factory and commended them for being hard working and 
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