On day three of Ggoobi four day working visit of Franc, permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury he has met Sales Director of Airbus Michael Guiraud.
Uganda Airlines operates a fleet primarily composed of Airbus aircraft, including the A330-800 wide body planes, allowing them to serve long-haul routes and recently adding an A320 to cater to medium-range needs; essentially relying heavily on Airbus for its international flight operation.
Sales Director of the Sagemcom Energy and Telecom SAS, Ggoobi has also met plus officials of Satlantis, a Space Technologies Company based in Spain. Lined up for meetings in the next 24 hours are officials of BPIFrance and Eiffage Group to discuss available solutions to financing solutions involving French Companies and Head of the Multilateral Affairs, Trade and Development Policies Department (SAMD) at the French Treasury, William Roos.
Earlier, Ramathan Ggoobi who attended the inaugural Uganda-France Investment, Tourism, and Trade Conference, also called on the Ugandan Diaspora Community in France to be Uganda’s Trade, Tourism and Investment Ambassadors wherever they are, as there is no testimony as powerful as theirs.
“At a special gathering of Ugandan Community members, who convened at the newly renovated Uganda Embassy Building at 13 Avenue Raymond Poincare in the French Capital, Paris at the invitation of Uganda’s Ambassador Doreen Ruth Amule.” Ggoobi said.
The Community, most of whom work in various sectors of the French economy from Sports to fashion, Science and Technology and the Culinary Arts expressed interest in how the Government of Uganda can facilitate their interest in investment back home in Uganda.
Flanked by a delegation from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Tourism Board, Ggoobi informed the Ugandan Community that the Government would need the partnership of Uganda’s Diaspora “beyond remittances,” to implement the fourth National Development Plan and achieve Vision 2040.
He added the Ministry of Finance has started the exercise of growing the economy differently by laying special emphasis on investment, whether small, medium or large in Agriculture, Tourism, Mineral Development and Science and Technology Transfer (ATMs). They are calling on the Diaspora to become marketing gurus in identifying and partnering with investors from France and increase imports of processed agricultural produce into France.
Ensure that they are equipped with the tools and resources required to support the Diaspora, the Ministry of Finance had embarked on “Operation Revamp Embassies” Ggoobi informed the gathering referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as “the sleeping giant that has awoken.”
To aggressively renovate and maintain Uganda Embassy Properties, improve staff remuneration and finance effective Consular Services, Ggoobi expounded on the Government’s plan. He shared that the Ministry of Finance would continue rolling out the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Program from UGX 60bn in FY 2024/25 for 12 Embassies, to an additional 12 Embassies receiving funds in the FY 2025/2026 coining the slogan “Markets, Investments, Tourism.
He said that In return, they expect to see a recovery of the asset base and staff welfare, a rise in export statistics from Uganda, an increase in Foreign Direct Investment to Uganda and an increase in the flow of tourists from places like France.
Dr. Lilly Ajarova the CEO UTB the Ugandan Community listened and engaged on the importance of maintaining a positive Brand for Uganda with the country’s unrivalled diversity and uniqueness across Africa.
“The non-tax incentives available to Ugandans, Export information from the Uganda Export Promotion Board tax deductibles like training and capacity building and the pending unveiling of the Diaspora Bond in partnership with the Bank of Uganda. Abel Kagumire briefed them about the taxation liabilities and incentives that they could take advantage of in returning to or choosing to invest in Uganda.” Mukiiza, Executive Director of the Uganda Investment Authority said.
