Industry Updates

'SAMENA Daily' - News

Uganda government race to create e commerce regulations

The Uganda government is setting up regulations that govern e commerce services and create an enabling environment for online businesses as it looks to technology to boost service delivery.

“The government already enacted the electronic transactions act, a law which guides the operations on the e- commerce entities,” said Mr Peter Kahigi, the director for e-commerce services at the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U).

He further added that the government was increasingly depending on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services to simplify the way of doing business today.

According to the Budget speech recently read by Finance minister Mr Matia Kasaija, ICT supports development of the financial services sector, telecommunications, public financial management and scientific research and innovation and e-Government.

Mr Kasaija said ICT contributes 2.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (2015), employs approximately 1.3 million Ugandans and raised Shs484.4 billion in tax revenue collection in 2015. He also noted that there was an increase in internet users who grew from 8.5 million to 13 million people in 2015.

Furthermore the increase in telephone subscribers from 19.5 million in 2013 to 23 million in 2015, has strengthened the need and created breeding ground for the growth of the e-commerce services in the country.

Speaking at a consultative meeting to discuss the draft certification regulations in Kampala recently, NITA-U executive director, Mr David Saaka, said: “Standards play an important role in facilitating trade through the promotion of safety, quality and technical compatibility, improve efficiency in production and also spur innovation.”

In order to enforce this, NITA-U is working with support from the ministry of Information and Communications Technology and that of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.



Source: http://africabusinesscommunities.com/news/uganda-government-race-to-create-e-commerce-regulations.html

ATTENTION