Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Hold Business Connect Forum & Expo in Butembo to Discuss Opportunities for Growth in Trade and Commerce – 17th – 18th October, Butembo

In a bid to increase the volume and value of trade between Uganda and thr DRC, Uganda Embassy in Kinshasa partnering with public and private sector stakeholders both in Uganda and DRC are holding a Business Connect Forum and Expo in the city of Butembo, eastern DRC. Under the theme “Strengthening Business Linkages for Socio-economic transformation,” the Business Forum aims to connect businesses in both countries for mutually beneficial growth in trade and commerce.  

During this event, senior representatives of the two countries will be discussing the existing barriers to trade and find workable solutions to speedily create a sustainable enabling environment for business to flourish.

Representing the DRC government are H.E. Julien Paluku, Minister of External Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E Evariste Somo Kakule, Governor of North Kivu Province, and Hon. Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa, Mayor of Butembo city among others. The Ugandan delegation to the Forum includes Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Minister of State for Trade, Amb. Alhajji Farid M. Kaliisa, Uganda’s Ambassador to Kinshasa, senior officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, representatives from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), and members of the business community.

The Business Forum and Expo in Butembo  has attracted over 50 business enterprises in various product lines and exhibitors from Uganda for business networking with DRC business community especially from Beni, Butembo, Kisangani, Goma and Bukavu. Made-in-Uganda products being showcased include Agro-products, poultry and dairy, Agro-farm inputs, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, apparels and various construction materials. 

Butembo is the second largest city in North Kivu Province, with a sizeable population of businesses that have links to as far as Kinshasa. Uganda’s strategic location makes it a crucial gateway into and out of eastern DRC.

With support from the European Union and Trademark Africa (TMA), Uganda and DRC are implementing the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Program aimed at transforming cross-border trade into a pathway for peace and economic growth. The program seeks to promote regional integration, empower small-scale traders, and ensure the free movement of people and goods between the two countries. 

The two countries are also jointly implementing the construction of key roads viewed as having mutual economic benefit. The roads include Mpondwe/Kasindi-Beni (80km), Beni-Butembo (54km) and Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma road (89km). The road projects have opened accessibility of Ugandan products in several cities in eastern DRC. Once completed, the roads will reduce on the cost of doing business and create enormous opportunities for the people of both countries.

According to UBOS, the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC  increased from $432.4 million in 2016/17 to $981.5 million in 2024/25. Similarly, DRC exports to Uganda have increased from US$23 billion  in 2020 to US$ 59.8 billion in the year 2024. This upward trajectory is attributed to improvement in the security environment, commencement of improvement in transport infrastructure as well as the opening up of the DRC market following entry into the East African Community. According to Amb. Kaliisa, the various strategies being implemented have the potential to boost the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC to US$2 billion in the next few years. 

In their remarks at the opening of the Business Forum, the leaders emphasized the role of sustainable peace and security, noting that trade can only thrive in a transparent, predictable and free environment, a goal the two countries must work together to achieve. They also decried the existing Non Tariff Barriers to trade including prohibitive administrative practices and discriminatory taxes tendencies that discourage seamless trade across the borders.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.