This year’s Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) week will kick off on Wednesday July 30, the organizers have announced.
The events are organized by the Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises-Uganda in conjunction with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, CSBAG, SEATINI, Postbank, Bella Wine, Uganda Investment Authority and other partners.
This year’s event, which is also the 3rd Edition of the MSME Week, will run from 20th-23rd July 2022 at the Multipurpose Hall in UMA Show Grounds.
The MSME Week is Uganda’s premier event that celebrates the innovation and contribution of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Uganda to the country’s economic development.
This year’s events will celebrate the over 2.5 million MSMEs in Uganda for their perseverance, ingenuity, triumphs and creativity in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Specifically, we hope to showcase a range of MSME products through an expo, enhance business linkages and networking among MSMEs, facilitate the development of socially responsible entrepreneurs of high integrity,” explains one of the organizers.
“We expect over 2,000 visitors and over 200 exhibitors over the course of the week including existing Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises, young people and other start-up entrepreneurs, Business Support Organizations, Financial Service Providers, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” she adds.
The event will be officially opened by Hon Francis Mwebesa, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
Other expected speakers include the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority, the Director General of the Uganda Investment Authority, the Executive Director of the East African Business Council, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) and the Executive Director of SEATINI, among many others.
The MSME Week will address various themes: Day 1 will look at the Enabling MSME Recovery from COVID-19 through a conducive policy environment and an expanded tax base that preserves the country’s entrepreneurial spirit while Day 2 will seek to position MSMEs to tap into opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area through leveraging technology and innovation.
Day 3 will explore the role of the digital economy in driving financial inclusion for MSMEs in the COVID-19.