Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister Sanjay Tanna has assured sugar producers in Uganda that the Government is committed to supporting them in resolving the excise duty imposed by Kenya on sugar imports.

Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on Tuesday, Tanna added that the Government will also not allow unscrupulous traders, including those allegedly operating through powerful connections, to use Tanzania as a transit route to smuggle foreign rice into Uganda to evade taxes.

He said the move is aimed at protecting local rice producers and curbing the smuggling of foreign rice into Uganda.

Tanna called on the business community to actively participate in the forthcoming Regional Industrialisation Conference, saying it presents a major opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors to expand their businesses. The 3rd Annual Regional Industrialisation Conference (RIC 2026) will take place from August 18 to 19, 2026, at the Kampala Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.

The minister said Uganda’s stable currency is one of the key factors making the country attractive to investors in the region.

Earlier at Parliament, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa raised a red flag over the abuse of rice import permits, saying that about 25 companies, including a hospital, were fraudulently awarded permits. He asked Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja to intervene.