The 6th Uganda Economic Forum concluded yesterday after four days of intensive, solution-oriented dialogue, successfully setting a unified agenda for the nation’s ambitious tenfold economic growth strategy.
Broadcasting live on NBS TV, the forum served as a critical platform where policymakers, private sector leaders, and the public converged to dissect the government’s ATMS (Agro-industrialization, Tourism, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology & Innovation) framework. The discussions aimed to translate the high-level strategy, which targets expanding Uganda’s economy from $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040, into actionable steps.
Each day of the forum was dedicated to one of the four ATMS pillars, creating a comprehensive and structured national conversation:
- Day 1 (Agro-industrialization): The dialogue centered on the urgent need for innovative, long-term financing to move Uganda from subsistence farming to a global food powerhouse. Experts, including the Governor of the Bank of Uganda, called for a shift from traditional commercial lending to “patient capital” to fund large-scale value addition.
- Day 2 (Tourism): A unified call emerged from the private sector for targeted tax incentives and aggressive international marketing. While the government highlighted tourism’s high return on investment, industry leaders stressed that unlocking its full potential requires a more competitive business environment.
- Day 3 (Mineral Development): Experts warned that Uganda’s vast mineral wealth risks remaining untapped without access to specialized, long-term funding for exploration and infrastructure. The government, in turn, emphasized its focus on value-added mining practices and sustainable mining over simple extraction.
- Day 4 (Science, Technology & Innovation): The final day focused on STI as the “force multiplier” for the other pillars. Discussions centered on bridging the digital skills gap, promoting local innovation, and developing policies that foster a thriving digital economy for all Ugandans.
Throughout the week, a recurring theme was the necessity of a stronger, more transparent partnership between the public and private sectors. The forum successfully transitioned from identifying problems to proposing concrete solutions, ranging from financial reforms to policy adjustments.
As the host, Next Media reaffirmed its commitment to its mission to “Inform to Transform,” providing its platforms as a crucial bridge between policymakers and the citizens they serve. The 6th Uganda Economic Forum has concluded not just with a list of recommendations but with a renewed sense of shared purpose and a clearer roadmap for achieving Uganda’s bold economic vision.
