Located in Luzira Industrial Park, M/s Sino Africa Medical Devices Company Limited in partnership with the Tianjin Yorkool International Co Limited manufactures polyester insecticidal treated mosquito nets for local consumption.

 

Ms Amelia Kyambadde said the kind of development is a boost to the textile industry and creation of more employment opportunities, especially when it starts using local raw materials for production.

 

"At the moment, Uganda has a cotton capacity of 500,000 bales but we have the potential to produce 1,000,000 bales. We hope that in future when the company starts using locally grown raw materials, our farmers will benefit from the factory," Ms Kyambadde said.

 

At the same function, the Health minister, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, said the initiative will help to save the government the money it spends on importing nets, to feed the local market in the fight against malaria. "Government spends at least one dollar every time we ship a single mosquito net into the country yet we have a consumption capacity of three million nets annually.

 

This new factory will now help to reduce the amount of money that government spends on importing mosquito nets," Dr Tumwesigye said.

 

Although the factory currently employs only 115 Ugandans, Mr Wang Jing Qi, the chairman Yorkool International Co Limited, said they hope to introduce more advanced technology in the manufacture of their products, which will see more 2,000 jobs created.

 

Mr Jing said "the second phase of investment will see the production capacity shoot up from 10 million to 30 million nets annually."

 

The function was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Zhao Yali, who said: "China is ready to cooperate and facilitate Uganda in your industrialisation transformation process."

Source : allafrica.com