Great Lake Region Private Sector Forum chairman Richard Ngatia and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni after he paid the President a courtesy call atState House in Entebe, Uganda on Friday.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has pledged Sh10 million to the Great Lakes Investment and Trade Conference in March.

Museveni made the pledge on Friday last week after the Great Lake Region Private Sector Forum (GLR-PSF) chairman Richard Ngatia paid him a courtesy call at State House, Entebbe.

The Great Lakes countries surround Lake Victoria, the world’s third-largest freshwater lake. Countries on Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi are als in the Great Lakes region.

Ngatia led the delegation to meet Musevening after officiating at the launch of the GLR-PSF round table meeting in Kampala.

The International Conference Of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from March 18 to 20.

“I would like to sincerely thank His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni for the kind gesture and pledge of Sh10 million to support of the upcoming conference,” Ngatia said.

“As a regional private sector body, we are committed to open up regional and international market linkages to benefit our people, especially youths and women,” Ngatia said.

Ngatia, who is also president of Kenya National Chamber Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) was accompanied by Olive Kigongo, president of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI).

United Nations Uganda Resident Coordinator Rose Malango and Uganda Minister for East African Community Affairs Kahinda Otafiire were present, among others.

KNCCI is focussed on expanding trade across borders, development strategy to enhance market access, Ngatia said.

“Address the policy challenges in crossborder trade and make recommendations to eliminate them. This is in line with the Big Four Agenda outlined by his Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.”

He said the recent establishment of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), makes it urgent for the private sector to boost intra-regional trade from the current level.

They agreed to lobby member states to address particularly the incessant conflicts to spur economic development and regional integration.

Last year, Ngatia was unanimously elected as the first chairperson of the regional body during the regional private sector forum General Assembly in Nairobi and hosted by the Kenya chamber.

Ngatia took over the regional body of 12 member states from the former interim chair Laurent Yogo of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Great Lakes Region Private Sector Forum has revived the push to establish a strong and well-connected economy through intra-regional trade amongst the12 members.

The region has almost 400 million members, a significant market.

Source: The Star

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