After two years of steadily expanding outreach and revenue gains, Uganda Registration Services Bureau’s (URSB) Mass Business Registration Initiative has entered its third implementation year with bigger targets, a sharper strategy, and a renewed focus on bringing formal business services to communities nationwide.
Launched in September 2023, the initiative seeks to formalise Uganda’s economy by extending registration services to communities, promoting the benefits of formalisation, expanding the national business register, and boosting Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) collections. Over its first two years, the program has built momentum, moving from 3,195 business registrations and UGX 609 million in NTR in the first year to 6,856 registrations and UGX 3.89 billion in the second year.
With the 2025/26 financial year underway, the initiative is setting its sights even higher. This year’s targets include registering 234,897 businesses, 137,906 business names, and 96,991 companies, with a goal of collecting UGX 24.65 billion in NTR.
Mercy K. Kainobwisho, URSB’s Registrar General says the initiative targets full formalisation of Uganda’s economy. “The Mass Business Registration Campaign is about more than numbers. It’s about empowering entrepreneurs, formalizing enterprises, and unlocking opportunities for growth. This financial year, we aim to bring over 235,000 new businesses into the formal economy, strengthening Uganda’s economic fabric,” She said.
The approach for this third phase will be more targeted and inclusive, featuring two weeks of intensive registration activities in all cities and selected high-potential business communities. Planned locations include Greater Kampala (Kampala, Wakiso, Entebbe, Mukono), all 10 other cities such as Gulu, Jinja, and Mbarara, and over 20 additional districts from Kasese to Kotido.
To strengthen community involvement, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) will coordinate awareness campaigns across various media platforms, while mobile business clinics will be enhanced by the active involvement of field officers. These officers will not only offer on-the-spot registration assistance but also follow up with potential registrants, thereby boosting the overall effectiveness of outreach.
Each mobile clinic will be preceded by a pre-visit survey to identify optimal venues and engage local stakeholders. This preparatory work aims to ensure strong attendance, local buy-in, and effective communication about the benefits and processes of business registration.
Reflecting on the progress made, officials note that the steady year-on-year growth validates the model of taking services directly to communities. In FY 2024/25 alone, 65 mobile clinics were held, engaging over 25,900 citizens; more than triple the reach of the first year. This combination of physical presence, targeted media messaging, and grassroots stakeholder engagement has proven key in breaking down barriers to formalisation.
As the third year kicks off, the initiative is not just about meeting numbers, it is about embedding a culture of formal business operations across Uganda. With higher targets, broader reach, and refined strategies, the drive aims to accelerate the country’s journey toward a more inclusive, competitive, and revenue-generating business environment.
