The Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) through the Competitiveness and Investment Climate (CICS), Secretariat has, since 2006 hosted annual National Competitiveness Fora (NCF)s, to discuss measures aimed at improving the competitiveness of the sectors, which offer promise for generating growth. Sectors of interest , in the past, have included agriculture, industry, services and tourism.  The annual forum also examines actions required to  improve the investment environment and enhance market access.

 The 2009 Forum, with the theme “Repositioning Uganda for Global Competitiveness”, took place at a time when the impact of the global recession was becoming more pronounced and hence the need to proactively take measures to mitigate the effects. Key among the issues discussed were; the need for harnessing the national resource base to invest for the future, ‘weathering’ the global economic downturn - utilizing the opportunities arising from this crisis, developing strategies to tap markets that remain closed to Uganda, reducing the high cost of doing business in Uganda, the role of the financial sector in strengthening competitiveness and, transforming the economy through infrastructure development and urbanization.

The Forum agreed that Re-positioning Uganda for better competition in the global market requires a  combination  of factors including:

• a balance between the macroeconomics and microeconomics;
• a sound fiscal system;
• using domestic resources like the recently discovered oil to invest for the future, and
• a critical mass of highly skilled people to support the national development process. 
  

Please download forum publications below;