The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), in partnership with USAID’s Feed the Future Uganda Institutional and Systems Strengthening Activity (ISSA), is tomorrow Friday, September 15, 2023, launching the National Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Portal.
The National SME Portal is a single point for formalized micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access reliable, relevant, and timely information as well as business and investment opportunities. Over 2,500 SMEs from various sectors have already been enrolled on the portal. The enrolment will cover SMEs in all parts of Uganda.
The national launch is slated for Friday, September 15, 2023, and is planned to be presided over by the State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Hon. Evelyn Anite.
The National SME Posted is at www.mybusiness.go.ug and through it, a micro, small or medium enterprise has access to key information, data, and other critical and crucial interfaces that help in addressing its business and investment needs and challenges.
Hosted and curated by UIA, the National SME portal provides MSMEs with collaborative interfaces with markets, suppliers, payment solutions, financiers, potential investors, regulatory bodies, business advisory services, investment support services, business processes, peer learning, and support, etc.
The portal is an innovation by UIA to respond to the business and investment needs of domestic investors, the bulk of which are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The portal’s payment solutions are provided by mobile telco MTN through its MoMo pay system.
Commenting on the groundbreaking initiative, Minister Anite said: “The National SME Portal is founded on UIA’s mandate of providing an enabling framework for investment in Uganda. As such, the Portal provides MSMEs with access to packaged investment projects and reliable and relevant information on domestic and foreign investment opportunities, and incentives, among others”.
According to the Chairman of UIA, Mr. Morrison Rwakakamba, the overall objective of the National SME Portal is to support and promote the formalization and growth of MSMEs in Uganda through a collaborative platform that speaks to their business and investment needs and challenges.
The Director General of UIA, Mr. Robert Mukiza, said the portal provides an effective platform for match-making between MSMEs and domestic investors on the one hand and key partners like financiers, business development services, regulatory bodies, and international investors, amongst others.
Mr. Mukiza added: “A formalized, vibrant and progressive SME sector leads to the growth of a stronger economy that contributes to job creation and sustainable development”.
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