SERVICE EXPORTS IN UGANDA
INTRODUCTION
The Uganda Services Exporters' Association (USEA)
is a voluntary non profit Non Governmental Organization
registered and incorporated in August 1998 as a Company
Limited by Guarantee.
With fifteen founder members, the Association was formed
following a resolution at an UNCTAD/WTO/ITC sponsored Workshop
organized by the Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) between
June 4th and 6th 1997 in Kampala on the theme " Increasing
Service Exports Under GATS" for stakeholders in the
services industry.
The Association has a mission to evolve into a strong voice
for service providers and exporters to government and be
a link with service industry coalitions in other countries.
OBJECTIVES
› To increase
the visibility of Uganda's service industry and therefore
improve it's profile. So that service exports are seen as
being as important as merchandise exports to the country's
development.
› Foster the
improvement of the quality of Ugandan services as both domestic
inputs and as exports. In addition, establish a vision of
excellent customer service to which all service providers
must aspire.
› To encourage
and increase access to and the use of information technology
as the new arena for successful service exports.
› Establish an
accurate database of trade statistics on the services market
for domestic and international use to become a local focal
point for service market information on export opportunities.
› Evolve into
a strong lobby to influence Government pursue policies and
reforms that will encourage the growth of the service sector
especially exports.
› Facilitate
strategic alliances among local service firms and between
local and foreign firms.
BACKGROUND
The service industry and exports though largely invisible
contribute an increasingly big percentage of Uganda's Gross
National Income (GNP). They provide critical but unacknowledged
support to all domestic activities besides earning foreign
exchange.
Services account for over 70% of the value-added to manufactured
goods and agricultural products hence both service suppliers
and goods producers are dependent directly on the quality
of service inputs for their competitiveness.
In addition, service firms purchase up to 60% of the equipment
and supplies produced by the manufacturing sector, therefore
sustainable growth of the manufacturing sector depends heavily
on having a growing service sector.
Therefore, government emphasis on increasing agricultural
and industrial output without giving reciprocal attention
to the service sector is fundamentally wrong since it's
oblivious to the fact that the cost, quality and availability
of support services are what constitute a competitive advantage
for our exports in the global market.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) will
increase the rate of growth in this sector even further
and completely liberalise the global service market environment.
As a result of this agreement, the International Trade Centre
(ITC) forecasts that in the next five years the trade in
services especially in the developing and transitional economies
will contribute upto a third of all their exports.
This will create unprecedented opportunities for Ugandan
service firms abroad but also open Uganda's domestic market
to foreign service providers.
If Ugandan service firms are to take advantage of these
opportunities and thrive in an increasingly competitive
domestic and international market they must not only meet
but actually exceed international quality standards and
incorporate information technology in their delivery of
services.
Service firms and providers MUST be mobilized
and organized to put these issues into their true perspective
and meet the challenge of surviving the new millennium as
a strong and prosperous industry.
USEA seeks to act deliberately to encourage,
mobilise and openly promote stakeholders in the service
business.
For More information go to the USEA
WEBSITE
http://www.servicexport.com/uganda
