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26th May , 2025 , Hits: 119
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has revised its approach to prioritize handholding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to meet the quality standards requirements over policing them. This is in line with UNBS’ new value proposition of growing quality MSMEs using the carrot approach more than the stick.
The new approach, which aligns with National Development Plan (NDP) IV, comes at a time when Uganda is transitioning from NDP III, and is vital for the NDP IV pillars of industrialization, import substitution and export promotion aimed at achieving the ten-fold growth strategy of growing Uganda’s economy from USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion by 2040.
The development was revealed by the UNBS Executive Director, Eng. James Kasigwa during a one-day workshop with MSMEs in the clean cooking technologies and fuels sub-sector organized by UNBS in conjunction with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) and the Uganda National Alliance on Clean Cooking (UNACC), to sensitize the MSMEs about standards and product certification for Clean cooking technologies and fuels.
“I want to assure all of you that this is a new UNBS, and our approach towards supporting MSMEs has changed to a carrot and stick approach; Carrot for compliant companies and stick for the non-compliant companies after full sensitization and support. Our new value proposition is to handhold MSMEs to meet standards and we have set up an MSME division responsible for that. We will leverage Government programs like Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, etc to grow MSMEs." Eng. Kasigwa said.
“If we want to grow our economy better, we have to be intentional about growing MSMEs. We have a new target of certifying over 2,500 MSMEs in the next five years and that way, we will reduce the informal economy, we will broaden our tax base, we will create more jobs, we will export more, we will substitute importation and grow the industries.” He added.
The Head of Research and Capacity building at National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) – Uganda, Dr. Paul Nduhura, commended UNBS for the new approach emphasizing facilitation of businesses rather than frustrating businesses.
“The change in approach has allayed the fears of MSMEs under UNACC, that UNBS is there to support them on the standards journey and not punish them. This has been very transformational and going forward many MSMEs will come back to seek more information on quality standards and certification which will help us eliminate substandard clean cooking products for consumer safety.” Mr. Nduhura said.
A recent study by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) states that 85% of Ugandan households still rely on traditional biomass fuels, which contributes significantly to indoor air pollution and climate change.
The Commissioner - Renewable Energy Department at MEMD, Dr. Brian Isabirye, thus affirmed that transitioning to clean energy is important because access to clean and modern cooking solutions is NOT just a matter of convenience, but a matter of public health, environmental protection, and gender equity.
“Transitioning to clean cooking is one of the most effective ways we can improve the well-being of our citizens, particularly women and children, while also meeting our national energy and climate goal, to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by 24.7% below the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario, by 2030." Said Dr. Isabirye.
UNBS is committed to performing its mandate of ensuring fair trade and consumer protection in the clean cooking technologies and fuels sub-sector as well as other sectors of the Ugandan economy.
About UNBS
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a Government Agency responsible for developing, promoting and enforcing of national standards in the protection of Public Health and Safety, and the Environment against harmful and sub-standard products.
For more information, please contact:
Barbara Kamusiime,
Ag. Principal Public Relations Officer,
Telephone: 256 417 333250 / 0752300077
E-mail: barbara.kamusiime@unbs.go.ug