Government has said it is in talks with East African Community member states on the possibility of establishing smart devices assembling plants in the region.

The move, ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi said in Kampala on Tuesday, is one of the channels through which EAC governments are seeking to have negotiated arrangements with phone manufacturers with the view of cutting the cost of smart devices.

However, it was not immediately clear what level the talks are, when they will be concluded and what exactly they will be seeking to achieve.

“We are seeing how we can have assembling plants in the region. As a country, we are examining the tax policy. Our desire is to see the lowest person able to transact using a smartphone,” he said.

Smartphones, which have enhanced features, remain out of reach for many Ugandans. An average smartphone goes for Shs150,000, a cost that is largely out of the way for many Ugandans.

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