 |
|
"This company
according to our selection criteria, worked towards
international certification, created employment for
328 Ugandans, introduced farming schemes in northern
Uganda as a corporate social responsibility and applied
new technologies," Mrs Florence Kata, the Executive
Director Uganda Export Promotions Board, said.
She was speaking during a colourful
ceremony widely attended by both the public and private
sector at Sheraton's Rwenzori Ballroom on 7th October.
|
The event under the theme: 'Scaling
To New Heights,' saw 30 product groups
in the 13 broad sector categories considered
in the competition. 11 companies out of these, each representing
a specific sub-sector, won a gold award.
These included Kawacom (U) Ltd in the coffee
sub-sector, which also got an air ticket to China courtesy
of Kenya Airways to strengthen the partnership and commercial
diplomacy between the two countries.
Others were British America Tobacco in
the Tobacco sub-sector, Nyakantozi Cooperative Union (Cotton),
Uganda Fish Packers Ltd (Fish), Fiduga (U) Ltd (Flowers)
Esco (U) Ltd (Cocoa), Roofings (U) Ltd (Metal Products),
Britania (U) Ltd (Confectionaries), Uganda Commercial Impex
Ltd (Gold) and Tri-Star Apparels (Garments).
In the special category, Akright Projects
Ltd, won a silver award for their good services in the real
estates developments. Ms Maria Odido, the Managing Director
Bee Natural (U) Ltd, producers and exporters of organic
honey was declared the 'Most Enterprising Woman Exporter
of the Year.
Retired Ambassador to Japan, Mr James Baba,
won a gold award for being the most marketing ambassador
of the year and Uganda's Ambassador to Denmark, Mr Umar
Migadde, came second.
Shares (U) Ltd was recognised in the special
award category, for its efforts in producing and exporting
organic products.
"Uganda in the year 2004, witnessed
a yet un-reached peak of over $1.3 billion in exports earnings.
Total exports of goods grew from $522 million in 2003 to
$653 million in 2004, a growth rate of 25 percent. Service
exports including remittances of Ugandans abroad stood at
$770 million," Kata said.
In the silver category, 19 companies, each
representing a different sub-sector including SW tuners
(Hides & Skins), Godfrey Kirumira's Swift Commodities-
exporters of maize, beans and sesame seeds- through the
World Food Programme, Aponye (U) Ltd (Legumes), Taimex (U)
Ltd (Spices), Olam (U) Ltd (oil seeds) Tororo Cement, Picfare
(U) Ltd, and Rwenzori Tea Highlands.
| |
PEA 2004 AWARD WINNERS |
|
|
CATEGORY |
COMPANY |
AWARD |
|
|
Exporter Of the Year |
MUKWANO GROUP |
PLATINUM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Coffee |
Kawacom |
Gold |
|
|
|
UGACOF |
Silver |
|
|
|
Kyagalanyi |
Certificate |
|
2 |
Tobacco |
|
|
|
|
|
British American Tobacco |
Gold |
|
|
|
Leaf Tobacco |
Silver |
|
3 |
Tea |
|
|
|
|
|
Uganda Tea Development Agency |
Gold |
|
|
|
Rwenzori |
Silver |
|
4 |
Cotton |
|
|
|
|
|
Nyakatonzi |
Gold |
|
|
|
Dunavant Uganda Limited |
Silver |
|
|
|
North Bukedi Cotton Company |
Certificate |
|
5 |
Fish |
|
|
|
|
|
Uganda Fish Packers Ltd |
Gold |
|
|
|
Nge ge Ltd |
Silver |
|
|
|
Masese Fish Packers Ltd |
Certificate |
|
6 |
Hides & Skins |
|
|
|
|
|
S.W.T. Tanners |
2nd Silver |
|
|
|
First Merchant International Ltd |
Certificate |
|
7 |
Animal & Animal Products |
|
|
|
|
|
Begumisa |
Silver |
|
8 |
Flowers |
|
|
|
|
|
Fiduga Limited |
Gold |
|
|
|
Wagagai |
Silver |
|
|
|
Rosebud Limited |
Certificate |
|
9 |
Cereals |
|
|
|
|
|
Swift Commodities Limited |
2nd Silver |
|
10 |
Legumes |
|
|
|
|
|
Aponye Uganda Limited |
2nd Silver |
|
11 |
Spices - Vanilla |
|
|
|
|
|
Taimex Limited |
2nd Silver |
|
12 |
Cocoa Beans |
|
|
|
|
|
Esco Uganda limited |
Gold |
|
|
|
Ugacof Limited |
Silver |
|
|
|
Bakwanye Trading Company Ltd |
Certificate |
|
13 |
Oil Seeds |
|
|
|
|
|
Olam Uganda Limited |
2nd Silver |
|
14 |
Metal Products |
|
|
|
|
|
Roofings Ltd |
Gold |
|
|
|
Tororo Cement Industries Ltd |
Silver |
|
|
|
Uganda Baati Ltd |
Certificate |
|
15 |
Cement |
|
|
|
|
|
Tororo Cement Industries Ltd |
2nd Silver |
|
16 |
Confectionaries |
|
|
|
|
|
Britania Allied Industries Ltd |
Gold |
|
17 |
Plastics |
|
|
|
|
|
Visa Plastics Ltd |
Silver |
|
18 |
Paper |
|
|
|
|
|
Picfare |
Gold |
|
19 |
Personal Care Products |
|
|
|
|
|
Wispro Uganda Ltd |
Gold |
|
20 |
Soap |
|
|
|
|
|
Nakasero Soap Works Ltd |
Certificate |
|
21 |
Garments |
|
|
|
|
|
Apparels Tri star Uganda Ltd |
Silver |
|
22 |
Nets & Twines |
|
|
|
|
|
Uganda Fishnet Manufacturers Ltd |
Certificate |
|
23 |
Minerals |
|
|
|
|
|
Uganda Commercial Impex Ltd |
Gold |
|
|
|
A.P. Bhimji Limited |
Silver |
BACKGROUND
Although the genesis of the award dates
back to 1991 when the Exporters forum was created as a platform
to listen to the voice of exporters as an additional policy
incentive, it was elevated to ‘the President’s
export award’ after 1994. A modest ceremony was carried
out in 1995. For institutional constraints, no award ceremonies
were carried out from 1996-1998.
The event resumed in 1999 and on 1st October
1999, 30 companies were recognized for their economic contribution
for the calendar year ending December 1998. It has since
gained significant national and regional recognition and
every year, the event is organized to recognize export performance
for the previous year.
WHY THE AWARDS?
The awards are intended to:
• formally and officially recognize
the contribution of exporters to national economic development
and prosperity
• encourage higher, qualitative and diversified performance
by exporters
• generate national export consciousness and sustain
interest in export business
These objectives are in line with Governments
commitment to a multi-sectoral poverty eradication strategy,
Value addition to exports and export led economic growth.
Specific to poverty eradication is the
realization that albeit still modest, the export sector
is playing a considerable role in poverty eradication given
the continued growth especially of non traditional exports
that are homestead products of the rural poor. Vanilla,
sesame, hot peppers, dried fruits etc are now part of the
export cocktail and this departs considerably from the traditional
cash crops approach.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
Nominated companies undergo a rigorous
selection process designed to conclusively identify winners
in each export category based upon hard statistical data.
1. The National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS)
& Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) shortlist candidate
companies based on export value criteria.
2. A panel of judges comprising representatives
from the Board other national institutions including Private
Sector Umbrella Bodies, Government Regulatory Agencies relevant
to the selection process visit the short listed companies
and extensively audit against the criteria below and thereinafter
select final award winners.
3. The winners are determined by the panellists, based on
the highest average score.
| Sector/Product
Categories for Award Selection (2004) |
| 1. Overall Best Exporter of the year |
| 2. Traditional Exports Sector - Tobacco, Coffee,
Tea, Cotton |
| 3. Non-Traditional Exports Sector |
| A) Agriculture sector - Fish, Cut
Flowers, Cereals, Spices, Cocoa, Oilseeds, Legumes,
Fruits and Vegetables, Livestock and products |
| B) Manufacturing sector - Soap, Metal
products, Alcholic Drinks, Plastics, Paper, Personal
Care Products, Paper and Printed Materials, Garments,
Nets and Twines |
| C) Minerals sector - Gold |
| D) Confectioneries |
| E) Most Diversified Exporter - Assorted
products |
| F) Women Enterprises |
| G) Most Innovative Market Strategist |
| H) Service Exports - Best Exporter of Services |
| I) Marketing Ambassador of the Year |
| Special
Category Awards (2004) |
| A) Organic Exporter of the Year Award |
| B) Woman Entreprenuer of the Year |
| C) Most Aggressive Commercial Ambassador |
| D) Most innovative market strategist |
| Special
Category Awards (2003) |
| A) ICT enabled export Pioneer |
| B) Organic fruits and vegetable exports |
| C) Most aggressive commercial ambassador |
| D) Most innovative market strategist |
| Categories
of Awards |
| Award |
Category |
| Platinum Award & Citation |
Overall Best performer |
| Gold Award & Citation |
Best Sector/Product performer
(With earnings above given threshold)
|
| Silver Award & Citation |
1st Runner up in Sector/Product or
Ist place winner in category
(with earnings below given threshold)
|
PEA THEME - 2004
This year’s theme is “SCALING
TO NEW HEIGHTS”
We wish to see Ugandan export enterprises appreciate the
importance of thinking ahead, adopting proactive approaches
to doing and managing business, thinking seriously now about
what will affect their markets in future in the face of
stiff competition, adopting winning strategies and developing
new products and services that will enable them realize
higher earnings for themselves and for the country.
The country needs to see for example more
companies in the export of services, in unique country products
such as biodiversity based. Uganda also yearns for the export
of value added products that would hedge against poor terms
of trade associated with commodities. We also need to see
more companies get highly internationalized in their conduct
of business practices.
The theme ‘Scaling to new
heights’ epitomises these achievable vision
and goals, to diversify into new innovative products for
niche markets, and to ultimately increase country revenues
from export, which hit the US$ 1 Billion mark in 2004.
