President Yoweri Museveni has said that Uganda is on the right track of industrialisation under the National Resistance Movement because the Movement government has brought about and guaranteed peace, developed infrastructures such as roads and electricity and created an enabling environment that has attracted investors to the country.
Officiating at the commissioning of the newly constructed Nile Fibre Board Ltd, a new multi-million wood processing plant in Kinooni village of Kakooge Sub-County in Nakasongola District, the President said Uganda’s road to industrialisation was unstoppable and congratulated Nile Fibre Board Ltd for joining a list of several other entrepreneurs who have taken advantage of the excellent business environment in Uganda and invested their capital in the country.
Nile Fibre Board Ltd is a wood processing enterprise that makes modern fibre boards – a type of engineered wood products made of wood fibre – that forms the raw material for the latest world class furniture and other wood products.
The President used the occasion to strong warn landlords against evicting bibanja holders.
“Landlords should never evict bibanja holders because it is illegal as bibanja holders are protected by the 1995 constitution, the land law of 1998, but are taking advantage if the ignorance of the law by bibanja holders to evict them,” he said.
“Resist them and let all government officials ensure that the people are not evicted. NRM will introduce an amendment to the land law so that landlords who refuse to receive the agreed busuulu, their due busuulu will be deposited by the bibanja holders at the Sub-County and issued with a receipt so that the landlords can pick their dues at the time of their convenience,” he added.
The President assured the management of Nile Fibre Board Ltd that the government will give them all the support they need for the growth and expansion of their business as the company is answering the government call to produce for import substitution; thus reducing the continued wasting of the country’s foreign earnings in the importation of products that can be produced in the country.
He encouraged the people of Nakasongola and the neighbouring districts to take advantage of the factory, plant trees and avail raw materials to the factory so as to get out of poverty.
He also commended the people of Nakasongola District for the reported excellent relationship with the investors that he said will help attract more entrepreneurs to the area.
The President, however, reminded them that as investment in forestry was a long time venture, Ugandans especially those with small land holdings, should do commercial profit oriented agriculture in order to get out of household poverty.
He singled out fruit and dairy farming, poultry and goat rearing as some of the undertakings that people of the area should focus on. He pledged government support to avail machines to helping farmers with water for agricultural production.
Mr. Museveni also used the occasion to thank the people of Nakasongola District and Greater Luwero for the support to NRM during the liberation struggle and continue to give to the movement. The Chairman of Nile Fibre Board Ltd, Mr. Sarbjit Singh Rai, commended the Government of Uganda for allocating his company 2,900 hectares of land that is part of Katugo Forest Reserve that the company has fully planted.
He said that on top of that, the company has, on its own procured 1,600 of land that has been planted with trees.
He said that with the continued expansion of his company and with government support, Uganda will be assured of enough raw materials for the entire country’s furniture industry.
