The managers of Roofings Ltd are basking in euphoria after emerging overall winners of this year’s President’s exporters award that were organised by the Uganda Export Promotions Board.
Roofings Group Chief Executive Oliver Lalani was all smiles when the organisers – the Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB), made the announcement that they had beaten a stiff competition as Uganda’s biggest exporters for 2015.
The youthful Lalani attributed success to hard work and adherence to standards across the wide range of their products that has earned them a wide appeal across the region.
Roofings officials told The Sunrise that the company exported goods 400,000 tones of goods valued at US$45m in 2015. Although they admitted that the war in South Sudan negatively affected their potential, steady growth in other regional countries especially Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania did make up for the lost market opportunities.
“We were lucky and grateful that our markets in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania did very well and helped us to mitigate the effect,” Lalani said.
Lalani attributed the success to hard work and non compromising commitment to standards and high quality products.
“I am greatly overjoyed and honoured for our company to win this year’s exporter of the year award. But I must say it is a result of a multiplicity of factors. Number one of which is hard work, our great commitment to high quality products as well as a committed work force that have combined to make this success happen,” Lalani added.
He vowed not to be satisfied with the award but instead use it as an inspiration to achieve more and “even higher quality and quantity of products.”
Uganda’s Premier Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, who represented the President as chief guest urged other players in the export market to emulate the feat as part of the campaign to improve Uganda’s balance of trade.
“Uganda is currently experiencing a negative balance of trade but it is you our dear exporters like Roofings at the forefront of efforts to fight this imbalance and that is why we highly commend the work that you are doing on that front,” said Rugunda.
Apart from employing over 1000 workers directly, Roofings has created numerous jobs in the manufacturing industry as well as welding, construction, commerce to name a few.
And Roofings officials are also eager to point at their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program where they are championing a strong program on community environment through increased afforestation as well as supporting road upgrading in a number of areas around the country.
The company also prides itself in promoting Community Health programs on HIV AIDS.
According to UEPB’s publicist Brenda Opus, the President’s export award was started by President Museveni in 2004 with a view to boost the country’s export strategy and has since been organized by UEPB every year.
This year’s version was organized under the theme: “Attaining a middle income status by the year 2020.”
Winners of the 2015 Exporters Awards by category
Alcoholic drinks – Nile Breweries
Cereals – Aponye,
Cocoa – Esco Uganda,
Coffee – Ugacom Ltd,
Cosmetics – Movit Ltd,
Dairy Products – Pearl Diaries Ltd,
Edible – Bidico Ltd,
Flowers – Wagagai Ltd
Fish Products –
Hides & Skins – Hipopo Ltd
Horticulture by K.K fresh foods
Metal products – Roofings Ltd
Non alcoholic beverages – Haris Ltd,
Paints Vanishes – Sadolin Paints
Paper and paper products – Picfare Ltd
Pharmaceuticals – Abacus
Plastics – Multiple industries
Soaps and detergents – Bidico Ltd,
Tea – Igala growers Ltd
Sugar – Kakira Sugar works
Wood and Wood articles – New Forest Company Ltd;
