For some time, Ugandan citizens with creative minds have been inventing products that could have been beneficial to Uganda’s economic growth and development and can you imagine what Uganda National Bureau of Standards has been doing all along to reward these creative minds?
Instead of ensuring that their products are brought onto the market, what they have been doing is to ban them as counterfeits and duplicates.
But when President Museveni in his new selected government introduced the Ministry of science, technology and innovations to cater for new innovations, you can’t imagine the joy I felt. Yes, I believe our government has come to realize the significance of innovations as a tool for economic growth and development.
For how long have we been dependant on foreign traders for our goods? I believe with the ministry of science, technology and innovations, we shall have a chance to produce even the smallest products like match boxes, razor blades among others.
All those innovators that have been restricted by UNBS, their goods being termed as counterfeits and duplicates even without a benefit of doubt will have a chance for their products to be fully examined and approved if they are of standards.
And even if they are found substandard, I believe with the establishment of this ministry, many experts will be attracted and this can be help in innovation sensitization.
Even if it is a match box, or a razor blade that has been invented, such small inventions can reduce our dependence on foreign products and little by little, Uganda can turn into a fully developed industrialized country.
I kindly advise Uganda national bureau of standards to corroborate with the ministry of innovations so as to help every single person who comes out to implement any innovative concept. If we embrace this, I believe that it will attract many Ugandan scientists in the Diaspora to come back and establish vibrant factories which will eliminate job scarcity in our society.
I believe we have many Ugandans who are currently working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). If such talented individuals join us in this innovative ministry, we can achieve much in the development arena.
