The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema has met and held fruitful discussions with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel.
During the meeting held at the unit’s office in Kampala, Col. Nakalema thanked Ambassador Quispel for reaching out and engaging her office on matters related to investment.
“We are honored to have you visit us and we are grateful that you are open to discussing with us how we can enhance the protection of investors from other countries, particularly the Netherlands,” she said.
Col. Nakalema also recognized the role of missions like that of the Netherlands play in promoting investment opportunities in Uganda.
“Your experience and insights are definitely instrumental in helping this unit to seize the investment opportunities before us,” she noted.
“We are positive that your coming over this afternoon will take us forward in realizing our common aspirations as entities promoting, protecting and guiding investors. We are grateful for your time and commitment to promote collaboration through investment.”
Col. Nakalema further highlighted the role of the Electronic Investors Protection Portal (EIPP) in safeguarding investors against fraudulent activities.
She said the portal is a gateway to key government agencies and a secure reporting mechanism for investors’ concerns.
Col. Nakalema further revealed that Uganda’s Foreign Direct Investment has increased by 80 percent due to the availability of the EIPP.
She also requested Quispel to be the Ambassador of EIPP among investors from the Netherlands.
On her part, Quispel expresses gratitude to the government of Uganda for creating a conducive investment climate that enables investors to thrive.
“Uganda and the Netherlands share a lot in common like the good climate,” she said.
The Ambassador also praised Uganda for being among the top entrepreneurial countries in the world and expressed Netherlands’ commitment to strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Our companies are here in Uganda, both small and big ones. We see a lot of opportunities in Uganda, not only in agriculture but also in technology, among others,” Quispel stated.
She reassured Col. Nakalema that the Netherlands will continue investing in Uganda’s various sectors, especially by adding value to Uganda’s products, for continued economic development.
“We are looking forward to building a strong economy of Uganda. Trade and investment are crucial, the more you trade, the more you grow. I’m very happy to work with Uganda and looking forward to working more with you.”
The meeting was also attended by Mr. Andrew Byaruhanga, Policy Officer- Trade, Investment and Economic Diplomacy at Netherlands Embassy, Ms. Hiromi Abe, Private Secretary to the President of
Uganda on Investment Matters, Mr. Arthur Kwesiga, Commissioner ICT and Innovation at Uganda Registration Services Bureau and Mr. Walid Kule, Assistant Commissioner for Business Registration at Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
