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The Ministry of Finance says several local governments in the country have identified free land which they have earmarked for local and foreign investors to build factories and add value to agricultural products.

While speaking at the 77th Pakistani Independence Day celebrations last Sunday, the State Minister for Investment and Privatisation, Ms Evelyn Anite, said her ministry is embarking on a campaign to encourage Ugandan investors to apply for the land to set up factories so that they can create employment to Ugandans and widen the tax base.

“As long as you have money that is enough to build a factory which is adding value to our agricultural products, we have mobilised land for value addition in local governments. We have 600 acres in Yumbe, 1,200 acres in Nebbi, and more than 1,000 acres in Eastern Uganda. We also have land in industrial parks across the country and the different local governments are asking us when we are getting them the investors,” she said.

Asked why the government has decided to give out free land to investors, she said the government has realised that most of the products dominating the East African Community market and the Africa Free Continental Trade Area market, are products coming from China and yet the government has fought hard to establish such markets for Ugandan made products.

The minister added that Pakistani investors are among the few people manufacturing products that are finding their way to such markets.

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