President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Moses Sabiiti, the former Country Director of Trademark Africa that recently branded to Trademark Africa, as a senior Presidential Advisor on Exports and Industrial Development.
After ending his 12 year tenure at Trademark Africa (TMA), Sabiiti has been working as the Vice Chairman for the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), chaired by Odrek Rwabogo.
The committee’s task is to grow markets for Uganda’s products while proposing solutions to existing challenges in the exports sector. Sabiiti was appointed together with Richard Byarugaba, the former managing director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
While at TMA, Sabiiti’s leadership was able to deliver key trade facilitation infrastructure which increased Uganda’s trade across borders.
Examples of the infrastructure that was put in place under his leadership include the Construction of One Stop Border Posts (OSBP) at Malaba, Elegu/Nimule, Mutukula, and Kagitumba/Mirama Hills in addition to the 37 kilometer Ntungamo-Mirama Hills road and also funded the Private Sector.
He also oversaw the upgrading of customs systems in addition to supporting the Private Sector. Using Grant funds worth $100m from donors, Sabiiti ensured that additional trade facilitation projects were in place.
These include The Gulu Logistics Hub, Construction of the Busia One Stop Border Post, Ntoroko Port and Goli Mahagi OSBP, construction of laboratories for the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
He also oversaw the upgrade and automation of Trade Portals for the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, coffee development authority, Uganda free zones authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs among others under the National Electronic Single window Project.
Before TMA, Sabiiti worked at Uganda Revenue Authority as a senior manager in charge of customs, where he initiated reforms in business processing and engineering systems, for increased trade facilitation, in addition to ensuring the efficient operations of the borders and at the Airport.
Away from trade facilitation works, Sabiiti is a farmer and exporter of Hass avocado, green chilies and coffee in addition to livestock farming.
Welcoming the news, Sabiiti said the appointment is another great opportunity to serve his country as a senior presidential advisor on exports. ‘I thank H.E the President for the recent appointment to the role of Senior Presidential Advisor on Exports and Industrial Development. It’s a pleasure to be given an opportunity to serve my country in this capacity,” Sabiiti said.
Sabiiti also attributed his appointment to the leadership and of his Chairman at PACEID, Rwabogo for what he described as great leadership and stewardship of the exports sector.
“I thank Chairman Odrek Rwabogo for his great leadership and stewardship of the exports sector. He is very good at identifying trade opportunities for the private sector and identifying talented people who have the required technical expertise and passion for particular tasks,” Sabiiti added.
PACIED team comments
Commenting on the development, Mathew Bangonza, the head of PACEID Secretariat thanked the President for enforcing the secretariat with someone with the needed expertise.
“We thank the President for giving us the right person who will support the chairman PACEID’s work of promoting Ugandan exports. Because of his past works at Trademark East Africa and his trail of work like the construction of infrastructure like the One stop Border posts, and his works with the private sector, I believe he is the right person for this job, Bagonza said in a telephone interview.
Bagonza added that from the new appointee, the secretariat wants Sabiiti to use his expertise to grow Uganda’s exports, better coordination in the sector.
For exporters, Bagonza said that these are set to benefit from his skills development in exports and value addition which will impact on the volumes but also conquer new markets.
“From him we expect more expertise to grow our exports. As an expert in skilling exporters, more exporters will be skilled on what is needed in exports like standards and also research and innovations that will make our exporters competitive,” Bagonza added.
