Business
Korea-supported SMEs showcase value addition at Uganda international trade fair
Ambassador Sungsoo Park (centre with black jacket) posed for photos with some of the Ugandan entrepreneurs who benefited from KOICA’s business mentorship and exhibited at the Uganda International Trade Fair 2024 edition
Promoting value addition and industrialization is one of the many areas that the Republic of Korea supports in Uganda.
To put to test some of their efforts in this area, the Republic of Korea supported up to 21 start-up enterprises that they have nurtured, to showcase their work at the Uganda international trade fair that is ongoing at the UMA show ground in Lugogo.
The participants range between small startups like Vicky Awino’s rice sorting business, to relatively big companies like Dhero that are involved in processing and marketing of agricultural produce for the local and regional markets.
Ambassador Sungsoo Park of the Republic of Korea in Uganda, paid a visit to the exhibitors on Tuesday October 8, 2024 and witnessed the fruits of his government’s work in Uganda.
Some of the Ugandan entrepreneurs from Buginyanya in Eastern Uganda marketing their Arabica coffee to Ambassador Sungsoo Park (left) at the Uganda International Trade Fair on October 8, 2024
Ambassador Park commended the exhibitors as well as their umbrella body – KABIC, short for Korea Agribusiness Incubation Centre, which nurtures agricultural enterprises to be self-sustaining.
Besides support to Ugandan businesses, the government of Korea through its Nairobi-based Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency, (KOTRA) successfully organized online business meetings between Ugandan and Korean businesses that seek to export Ugandan products to Korea.
Ambassador Park said the successful meetings that were organized by KOTRA, demonstrate their willingness to deepen economic ties between Korea and Uganda.
He said: “Our embassy has been participating in the UMA Trade Fair since
2022. and this year, we have successfully organized online business meetings between Korean and Ugandan businessmen and companies
for the very first time with Korea Trade Investment Promotion
Agency (KOTRA) Nairobi.
He added: “Our efforts for the last three years show our strong will to further economic relations with the Republic of Uganda. and I hope this year will be the beginning of active business to business interactions and building stronger economic ties between our two countries.”
Ambassador Park (left) with Mr. Samuel Mbulamukungi, (right) the Managing Director of Dhero group which promotes and markets cassava value added products in Northern Uganda. Mbulamukungi said the support his company received from KOICA has enabled them to access regional markets because of better processing and packaging.
Expanding trade between Ugandan and the Republic of Korea korea, is one of the key targets of their mission, Ambassador Sungsoo told celebrants who gathered for Korea’s National Foundation Day and Armed forces day held last week at Sheraton Hotel Kampala.
The Embassy’s direct participation in the trade fair by having a stall dedicated to increasing the country’s visibility and to promote trade, is a clear demonstration of their determination to achieve that set target.
Uganda could pick a leaf from the Koreans by participating in similar events outside the country to increase the country’s visibility, trade and tourism potential.
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