By Our Reporter

Speke Resort and Conference Centre Munyonyo was on Friday voted the Best Service/Luxury Standard Hotel in Uganda at the inaugural Ekkula Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards held at Hotel Africana. The resort beat off competition from the Sheraton, Serena and Imperial Royale Hotels.

Speaking upon receiving the award, Greg Petzer the General Manager of the hotel said it was a great honor to be recognized for their services.

“We are extremely proud for the recognition. As a team, we work very hard to meet the expectations of our guests. By winning this award, it means we are doing something right. We are however not going to seat on our laurels; instead we are going to work extra hard and review standards to meet the market needs to make Uganda the best tourism destination,” he said.

Ekkula (a Ugandan word meaning ‘Treasure’) Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards was started to recognize individuals and institutions that selflessly put Uganda’s tourism to better heights. The Awards join a list of other initiatives that go an extra mile to promote tourism in Uganda and to the world.

The judges’ choice was based on the nominee’s contribution to promoting Uganda as a top tourist destination, giving back and positive impact on community, promote domestic tourism as much as international tourism, professionalism, feedback from travels and conservation of culture.

The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga, speaking as the guest of honor at the event applauded people investing in the tourism sector for creating jobs. He appealed to stakeholders in the sector to bring in more foreign tourists and also promote domestic tourism.

By Our Reporter

Bank of Uganda (BOU) has held the Central Bank Rate (CBR) at 17% citing inflation forecast and accompanying risks. BOU believes this monetary policy stance will curb the rise in core inflation over the next two to three quarters and then gradually bring it back to the target of 5% over the medium term.

In a statement read at a press conference at BOU headquarters in Kampala today, the bank’s governor professor Emmanuel Mutebile said, “Since the previous meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, the inflation outlook has improved slightly mainly due to the exchange rate and food price developments. Annual headline and core inflation declined to 7.6% and 7.1%, respectively in January 2016 while food crop inflation declined from 16% to 12.3%. A fall in food crop prices, by 4.7 percentage points in the same period contributed to the reduction in headline inflation.”

BOU forecasts core inflation will peak at 6-8% in the second quarter of 2016, before flattening out in the second half of 2016 and then gradually falling back to the 5% target during the course of 2017.

“Nonetheless, there are significant upside risks to this outlook, including the future path of the exchange rate, which will be influenced by domestic and external factors and the possibility of adverse weather conditions following the El Nino weather phenomenon,” he added.

The forecast for GDP growth has been revised marginally to 5.5% for Financial Year 2016/17 from 5.8%. This marginal reduction is in line with the current global economic weakness and volatility in the international financial markets.

By Our Reporter

Running a successful e-commerce business is not just about posting items online, but encompasses a larger scope. It is about doing business with an entirely different mind-set, using a medium that challenges the very basic rules of traditional Ugandan ways of doing business. E-commerce is a completely new concept to most and so they are expected to find it quite hard to easily adopt and also to learn how it works. In a surprising trend, more millennials (25– 33year olds) in Kampala are buying merchandise online rather than at physical shops.

Kaymu.co.ug an online shopping platform in Uganda attributes success to implementing several ways of attracting and retaining customers like exclusive codes, special discounts and coupons from time to time.

Cynthia Tumwine, a 26 year old TV presenter says she got her first Kaymu item as a gift.

“A friend asked me to choose a birthday gift from the site. I could not believe how easy and convenient it was. I used to have to find time to walk through stores and negotiate with sellers, I do not remember when the last time I did that was. My mom does not understand it though, she says I am being lazy.”

Laziness is not her mother’s only reason. Despite the fact that Africa’s middle class is rising and they have money to spend, mistrust in online payment methods is one explanation for millennials embracing online shopping at a faster rate than the generation before them.

Kaymu Uganda’s Sales manager Lisa Kaitare says, “In most European countries, there is more of a direct debit like culture, while in Africa and Uganda in particular, consumers tend to prefer paying cash on delivery – and usually not until they have unpacked the goods and tried them out. So we do it the Ugandan way. We will deliver the order to wherever you are and you will not be forced to pay for it if it does not meet your expectations.”

The site employs a great number of youth in Kampala and creates business opportunities for vendors that did not have access to consumers beyond their stalls. With deepening internet penetration, the trend suggests that it is inevitable that more Ugandan consumers will migrate to e-commerce over the next five years. In the meantime, Kaymu is connecting global brands with the country’s emerging consumers.

By Our Reporter

MultiChoice Uganda has launched a campaign aimed at rewarding customers for reconnecting their DStv subscription. Dubbed ‘Last Mile’, the campaign will see customers from across the country stand a chance to win a range of fantastic prizes worth millions of shillings, including Yaka units, Airtime on all networks and free fuel.

Announcing the start of the campaign in a press statement today, Albert Nga the DStv Acting Marketing Manager said, “We are running this campaign because we appreciate the loyalty and support our subscriber’s give us and we feel we should reward them by giving them the opportunity of winning something that they value. 130 prizes will be won every week. To enter all a person has to do is pay their subscription between now and 13th April and they will be automatically entered into a weekly draw where they stand a chance to win a prize depending on the bouquet they have selected.”

Nga explained 100 Access and Family bouquets subscribers will win Airtime vouchers worth Ushs 5,000, 20 Compact bouquet subscribers will win Yaka vouchers worth Ushs 100,000 per week and 10 Premium bouquet subscribers will win Fuel vouchers worth Ushs 250,000 per week. The winners will be announced on a weekly basis in the media and on the MultiChoice website www.dstvafrica.com/Uganda.

Tina Wamala the MultiChoice Public Relations and Communications Manager said, “Our viewers can look forward to some exceptional high quality programming over the next few months and beyond including Awards seasons that will include the exciting Grammy and Oscar Awards, Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice awards and new thrilling series. We have something for everyone across all the five bouquets. On average more than 20 people a day stand a chance of winning something.”

By Our Reporter

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, Crane Bank has donated an assortment of medical supplies to Tender Hands Nursing Home in Lukaya, Masaka district. These are expected to go a long way in easing the medical burden for patients at the home.

Receiving the supplies Tender Hands Director Juliet Nakidde said, “We are always looking to extend medical and clinical facilities in the Masaka region especially towards pregnant women. This donation will help us to meet our patients’ needs.”

The bank exercises its CSR beyond its core business. So far, more than 10,000 people have benefitted from different initiatives as part of its commitment to society. Some of the activities it has been involved in include; Free Eye Screening and treatment, blood donation campaigns, Save the Environment drive by planting trees with the Indian High commission, sponsorship of the KCCA Carnival, school fees sponsorship, supporting the Fistula Repair Program with Nakasero Hospital and sponsorships of various marathons among others.

‘Agriculture Financing’, which is Crane Bank’s education program, has reached over 500 schools countrywide while over 5,000 people have benefited from the bank’s financial literacy programs. This program which ranges from microfinance to impact investments aims at promoting entrepreneurship, improve people’s local environment and help in emergency situations.

By Our Reporter

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its spectacular new line-up of SUHD Televisions (TVs) at the Samsung Forum 2016, ushering in a new decade of global TV leadership. The new technology offers unparalleled picture quality with Quantum dot display and comes with the world’s first bezel-less curved design. This feature makes it easy for consumers to access all their entertainment content in one place.

“Our new SUHD TVs represent our singular focus on innovation that matters most to consumers, by providing the very best picture quality for the home. In 2016, we are going beyond anything we have done before to offer a remarkable synergy of design, engineering and craftsmanship,” said Corrie Labuschagne, the Africa Regional Product Manager, Visual Display.

He explains the Quantum dot display feature offers the most true-to-life picture quality, with stunning brightness, exceptional contrast and the most lifelike colors ever offered by Samsung. In addition, with no bezel that normally functions as the border, the viewer’s attention is focused purely on what matters most – captivating content on the screen.

“In keeping with this design ethos, Samsung has sought to eliminate all unnecessary elements, even removing screws from the rear of the TV to create an elegant product that is beautiful from every angle. This innovation also eliminates the need to juggle multiple remote controls and automatically recognizes the type of set-top box, game console, OTT box or home theater system that is connected to the TV. This allows users to control all of the external devices with the Smart Control remote with no setup required,” he adds.

Further, the new line up of TVs come with a smart view mobile app that allows users to share their favorite content instantly with their family.

“We believe that in order to develop product solutions with our consumers, we must address the unique local needs in Africa. It is of highest importance for tailored innovation and we want to offer the best in picture quality, best in cinematic sound and a television that will withstand the harsh African climate,” Labuschagne concludes.

By Our Reporter

MTN in partnership with the MTN Solution Space and Jumia have introduced a Pan-African entrepreneurship competition bringing together over 1000 entrepreneurs, students and investors to collaborate on ways to amplify and consolidate the continent’s businesses. Targeting more than 60 universities in 13 countries across Africa, the competition will challenge students to develop a unique digital application or smart solution that will solve a tangible problem faced on the continent.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Jumia to launch the entrepreneurship challenge. Africa is a continent of promise and our aim with the MTN Solution Space has always been to help fulfill this promise by developing unique African solutions. We believe that the entrepreneurship challenge is a key element of this. The response and willingness from universities across Africa to collaborate on this initiative has been truly remarkable and certainly exemplifies the impact of collective efforts to foster entrepreneurship among our next generation of business leaders,” says Sarah-Anne Arnold, Manager of the MTN Solution Space.

MTN’s Group Chief Digital Officer, Herman Singh says, “The Entrepreneurship Challenge is strongly aligned to MTN’s own entrepreneurial culture and history as well as our values as a business. We believe inspiration of new business leaders in Africa and their enablement to success will be key drivers for the future rapid evolution of a broader start-up culture on the continent. This is an environment already teeming with excellent potential and we hope to assist in accelerating its further growth and to raise MTN’s role in creating new businesses in Africa.”

Applications for the first round of the multi-phased competition are open from today and will close on 27th March 2016. Aspiring entrepreneurs from participating universities can enter in teams by logging onto www.gsb.uct.ac.za/MTNECbyJumia .

All applications will be judged by campus captains, who consist of successful entrepreneurs in their respective market. Shortlisted teams will then move on to a live pitching phase at their selected universities between 1st and 8th April 2016, after which the final five projects will be selected to move through to the Semi-Final.

The finalists will be announced on 16th April 2016, and the successful teams will get the opportunity to attend the Entrepreneurship festival, hosted at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in South Africa on 27th May 2016. The festival aims to facilitate the collaboration of over a thousand attendees with prominent and innovative speakers and workshop experts from across the world. Finalists will have to pitch their business to a room of successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, judges, investors and international media, after which the winner of the challenge will be announced.

The winner of the MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge will win a cash prize of US $25 000 towards their start-up and will also benefit from a yearlong partnership with Jumia, where they will have the opportunity to work from any of JUMIA’s offices across Africa. The winner will also have access to a Facebook Start Program to the value of US$ 15 000, which includes tools and services needed to build mobile applications. In addition, they will have the opportunity to work from the MTN Solution Space at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. The two runners-up will each receive US$ 5 000 towards their projects.

“This competition will contribute to building a stronger and more sustainable business environment across Africa. Its main goal is to boost and fuel African entrepreneurship by enabling young and smart entrepreneurs to kick off with their own projects. The key for us is to give full and adapted support to young talents, from funding to mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs,” says Bankole Cardoso, Head of Communications from Jumia.

By Our Reporter

The Bugala Farmers Association has called on the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to sever its ties with Bidco Africa, a Kenya-based edible oil producer accused of land-grabbing, human rights violations and environmental disasters in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Over 100 farmers lost their land to Bidco when in partnership with the local government, the company deforested more than 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) of rain forest and smallholder farms on Bugala Island on Lake Victoria to make way for one of the largest palm oil plantations in Africa.

In a petition delivered to the UNDP Kampala office on 28th January, the Bugala Farmers Association called on the UNDP to investigate the organization’s recent announcement that Business Call to Action (BCtA), a UNDP offshoot, concluded an agreement with Bidco Africa.

“For those who know the real business practices of Bidco and its CEO Vimal Shah, the embrace by BCtA is a tragedy for smallholder farmers and a major stain on the reputation of UNDP,” the petition reads.

The petition cites Bidco’s failure to comply with court orders to compensate the farmers for their land, the company’s labor practices in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, alleged tax evasion in Kenya and the deforestation of land for its palm oil production in Uganda. The deforestation has become so bad that the World Bank, originally a sponsor of the project, had to withdraw its support.

“The Bugala Farmers Association calls on UNDP and its senior leadership to examine the morally questionable association of such a distinguished U.N. organization with such a blatant violator of human rights that is Bidco Africa. The evidence of the company’s poor business practices is well documented and UNDP must immediately disassociate itself with such a company,” the petition states.

When the farmers presented their petition at the UNDP office in Kampala, security officers blocked them at the compound gate and confiscated video filmed by accompanying media. UNDP officials refused to meet the farmers and suggested that the petition – which is addressed to UNDP Administrator Helen Clark – could only be delivered at the organization’s headquarters in New York City. Only after a four-hour wait was the petition officially received by a UNDP receptionist in Kampala.

In addition to Administrator Clark, the petition is addressed to Peter Liria, Chief Ethics Officer, Director of the Ethics Office, Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Director Regional Bureau for Africa and Mila Rosenthal, Director of Communications among others.

The UNDP has not responded to the farmers’ petition since it was presented.

By Steven Cohen

Getting accurate and up-to-date financial reports can be complex for small businesses, but it does not have to be. Cloud-based reporting solutions offer small and large businesses a way to get timely snapshots of information such as revenue or expenses year-on-year, top customers, products, salespeople and more.

This helps them to react faster and smarter to opportunities, threats and trends in their businesses. Cloud-based reporting solutions are accessible, easy to use, and do not require the support of an in-house IT department. Because they are online, SME managers and owners can simply login from wherever they are, access their information and start working.

As long as they have an internet connection, they can access reports online, from anywhere, at any time and from any device. There are Cloud solutions that are available for a low-cost, monthly subscription and give small business owners access to customized reports to help them make more informed business decisions. One of the advantages of being able to connect to the cloud is mobility. The future is mobile and applications allow to control a business from the palm of your hand.

Up until now, many small business owners have relied on manual reporting methods, such as exporting, consolidating, cutting and pasting accounting system data into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Now, solutions such as Sage Accounting Intelligence Reporting Cloud give you easy access to ready-to-use reports for immediate insight into your business.

Whether it is keeping track of who owes them money, what their best and worst selling items are, how their sales reps are doing in comparison to each other, or keeping their teams abreast of business goals and achievements; Intelligence Reporting helps small businesses keep their finger on the pulse by providing them with reports that mean something to their businesses.

Intelligence Reporting is a tool within Sage One that offers small business owners ready-to-use reports which they can run and use as is or edit to suit their business needs. It also enables them to easily create reports from scratch and enjoy full control in customizing reports within Excel.

Charles Teversham, Managing Director at Sage Intelligence, the company behind the Sage Intelligence software recommends that small business owners look for the following capabilities from a cloud-based reporting solution:

• Wide range of reports

Ideally, the solution should offer ready-to-use reports that are already formatted for you. To run a report, all you should need to do is select the information you want to report on. Look for an offering that covers basic reports, such as profit and loss, statement of assets and liabilities, monthly and yearly sales trends and sales by customer.

• Familiar Excel environment

Most small businesses depend heavily on Excel for reporting. A good cloud-based reporting platform will leverage this familiar interface, but automate the process of drawing data that is pulled directly out of the accounting package and into prebuilt reports. It should present the data in visual and interactive graphs and charts to provide insight into business trends.

• Ease of customization

With a cloud reporting platform, it should be easy to tweak reports to the needs of the business. You should be able to easily customize a ready-to-use report, or create one from scratch using Excel and Intelligence Reporting tools.

The writer is Head of Sage One International (Africa, Australia, Middle East, Asia and Brazil).

By Louis Badea

Saint Augustine of Hipponensis said, “The World is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Traveling opens your eyes to so many new things, you get to learn a whole new world you didn’t know existed away from your comfort zone. One thing we encourage people here at Jovago is to travel the world and learn the many wonders that the world holds in store for you.

Ever wondered how many places in Asia exist away from China, India and Thailand? The many cultures that thrive in Asia, the people, the food and their dialects? Or how many countries on the African continent you have never heard of but exist and have so much to offer? Traveling unveils everything that seemed mysterious and unwelcoming into some beautiful wonder that you will enjoy and even turn into your second home.

Think about traveling through your own country just to learn about places beyond your home district and the city you live in, beyond the places you are familiar with and feed your sight with some new landscapes of nature’s beautiful handiwork.

Nature is a fine woven tapestry that expands miles and miles, you need to see all that and experience an ounce of beauty on that tapestry.

Go see the mountains, see how the night sky’s beauty traverses the waters and how the sun makes everything beautiful and bright throughout the continents of the earth. Learn cultures you never knew existed, see people, meet people and make new friends far away from home in places you never knew you would reach. Amaze yourself by taking a leap of faith with new cuisines and have your tongue dance with happiness at new flavors.

The fact about life is you never learn anything new by sitting in one place, this book that is the world has so many pages and whenever you get a chance, open a new page the read it. Devour it hungrily and hunger for more. In the end when the chapters of your life are closing you will have learned more and acquired enough wisdom about this world to share among those who never got the chance to experience it first hand.

Tell the story of the world the way it should be told, after seeing it.

The writer is The CEO Jovago.com

By Our Reporter

Islamic banking leaders and dignitaries from across Africa and the Middle East gathered at the 2nd annual International Forum on Islamic Finance (IFIF 2016) held on 9th February. The 2 day event which concludes today was held under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of the Sudan, the Central Bank of Sudan and the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning – and in strategic partnership with the Bank of Khartoum. IFIF hosted 200 dignitaries, central bank representatives, Ministers, C-level bankers, thought leaders and experts who gathered at the Al Salam Rotana Hotel in Khartoum to deliberate on strategies to enable Islamic finance gain prominence and spur economic growth across Africa.

Keynote addresses were delivered by several speakers including; Fadi Al Faqih (CEO of Bank of Khartoum), Musaed Mohammed Ahmed (Head of Sudan’s Banks Union), H.E. Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelrahman Hashim (Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan), H.E. Badr El-Din Mahmoud Abbas (Minister of Finance and National Economy of the Republic of the Sudan) and H.E. Bakri Hassan Salih (First Vice President of the Republic of the Sudan).

Also present was Dr. Anindya Ghose, Professor at New York University Stern School of Business, who was named Business Week’s “Top 40 Professors Under 40 Worldwide”.

“Industries and markets are being transformed by a growing shared technology infrastructure. Indeed, Africa is emerging as an inspiring hub of innovation for social media in the banking sector, enabling unbanked individuals in Africa to access risk averse financing through Islamic banking. The International Forum on Islamic Finance (IFIF) is an outstanding platform to help build awareness of Africa’s digital media proposition in the context of Islamic finance’s push for financial inclusion across the continent,” Dr. Ghose stated.

By Our Reporter

The Ministry of Health in partnership with Merck Healthcare have launched a campaign to raise awareness about Cancer, early detection and prevention in Uganda. Dubbed ‘We Can,I Can’ the partnership highlights the fact that reducing the global burden of cancer depends on the work and dedication of many to prevent and treat the disease.

Making the announcement earlier this week Rasha Kelej, the Chief social Officer of Merck said,“We have no doubt that in order to prevent and reduce the death rate from Cancer and other non- communicable diseases, we will need to see collaboration and collective action from Health Ministries, Governments, NGOs, Academia, media and industry. The size and complexity of the task is so large that no single institution can manage on its own, so integration of effort is necessary to improve access to sustainable cancer care in Africa. We believe that prevention is better than cure, so together with the Ministry of Health we have launched a campaign to raise cancer awareness in the rural areas of Uganda.”

So far, Merck’s work in Uganda has reached more than 4,000 people training them on how to prevent diseases and advising on how to lead healthier lives. By 2018 Merck aims to reach 100,000 community members through its combined diabetes and cancer awareness campaigns as part of Merck Cancer Control Program-MCCP.

Uganda’s Minster of State for Health, Sarah Opendi stated, “Most cancer patients report to the health facility when cancer is in the advanced stage which poses a challenge because nothing much can be done to save the patient’s life. This is partly due to the nature of the cancers since they have no symptoms in early stages but also due to our poor health seeking behaviors.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over one third of cancer deaths are due to preventable causes such as viral infection, poor nutrition and widespread tobacco use.

“It is important to note that once diagnosed early, cancer can be treated and cured. Uganda just like other developing countries faces a wide range of health system challenges and cancer is often not a priority in limited resource settings. Therefore the Ministry of Health appreciates private public partnership with reputable companies like Merck to promote key health guidelines and raise awareness about so that people learn how to detect and prevent it,” she added.

WHO estimates that by 2020, there are expected to be 16 million new cases of cancer every year. 70% of these will be in developing countries where governments are least prepared to address the growing cancer burden and where survival rates are often less than half those of more developed countries.

By Our Reporter

A new Shop Africa Report recently released by Knight Frank has ranked Kampala, Dar es Salaam and Lusaka among the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the world. According to the report, Kampala currently has 128,000 square meters of shopping space in the pipeline.

Judy Rugasira the Knight Frank Managing Director explains there is a huge appetite for one stop shopping centers.

“Developers are building one stop centers where people can shop, work and live in the same space. Knight Frank Uganda is currently in charge of leasing and letting Kingdom Kampala, The Arena and Llyods Mall which are all under construction. This is a key indicator of the city’s prospective growth,” she says.

The report also reveals that from a continental perspective, Africa’s population has more than doubled over the last thirty years to just over 1.1 billion and projects urban dwellers as the majority by 2040. The report studied 47 African countries excluding South Africa which is estimated to have 23 million square meters of shopping center space.

“The continent is experiencing a wave of modern mall development, a trend underpinned by long term economic and demographic growth which is the fastest than any other global region. By The African Development Bank’s definition, around 350 million people in Africa are classified as middle class. Within this group are brand conscious technology savy consumers who demand access to the increasingly sophisticated retail formats offered by the new wave of shopping malls,” it reads in part.

Over the long term, shopping center development is expected to go hand in hand with Africa’s increased urbanization and economic growth. As the sector grows and competition between retail schemes intensifies, developers will increasingly look for opportunities outside of the current hotspots and turn their attention to second and third tier cities, playing a major role in shaping the future landscapes of African cities.

By Our Reporter

E-Commerce giant Africa Internet Group (AIG) and AXA, a global insurance and asset management company have this week announced a partnership in which AXA will become a shareholder of AIG. AXA will provide custom-made insurance products through AIG’s Jumia and reach other e-commerce customer base through AIG’s ecosystem of marketplaces and classified services.

AXA will invest US$ 84 million and own approximately 8% of AIG. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the closing of the previous investment round and is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2016.

Ron Kawamara the Managing Director of Hellofood Uganda said, “This new investment is testament to the remarkable products and services AIG businesses such as hellofood have offered to their customers and partners in the last few years. Investors are rightfully showing great confidence in the businesses and the teams that are leading the online revolution across Africa. We are pleased to have a strong international brand like AXA backing us and it gives more impetus to continue to build a strong customer experience and growth our investors and partners expect.”

Denis Duverne, the Deputy CEO of AXA said, “This transaction confirms AXA’s long term commitment towards the African markets and represents another step in our development on the continent. Africa is home to some of the most dynamic and promising insurance markets in the world and our partnership with Africa Internet Group will enable us to accelerate materially our development by having access to their rich customer base and to their state of the art e-commerce technology. Going forward we aim to enable African consumers to better access insurance solutions to create sustainable financial well-being throughout their lives and those of their dependants.”

AXA becomes the 4th shareholder in AIG alongside MTN, Rocket internet and Milicom. AIG is parent company to Hellofood, Jovago, Lamudi, Kaymu, Jumia, Everjobs and Easy Taxi to mention but a few.

By Mariam Kigongo

Online learning in Uganda is strongly increasing mainly in colleges and Universities. Countries in Africa believe that the future now of higher education lies with online learning. Colleges and university students find themselves with other obligations beyond getting a degree. These include jobs and family commitments which make equal demands on their time while also having the option of taking classes online and studying on their own time is critically important. At the same time in Uganda, many institutions are unable to accommodate all those who want to take classes on campus while also being flexible with their own responsibilities, escalating the demand for online learning.

Hellen the business growth manager of everjobs Uganda says, “I love online education mainly because I get to balance my career life, time with my son and school. It is flexible and course work is always delivered on time. My only challenge was finding fast internet in Uganda. However we are slowly picking up on internet and more people are getting involved with online education.”

Most people assume that online class will be easier than one taken in a traditional classroom which is not the case. Online instructors will assign more reading materials than required in a regular classroom to ensure that students are engaged. Motivation is key to an online student’s success as is his/ her ability to reach out to both instructors and fellow students using software such as Blackboard.

This software program seamlessly integrates social media, making it possible to create online communities that are course specific. Blog, tweet, chat and discussion boards are all part of the online mix.

Success in an online course often depends on how connected a student feels to his instructor and fellow students just like in a traditional classroom. I believe that online learning is growing in Uganda and has the potential to revolutionize higher education. Students will be able to learn at their own pace and minor problems as simple as finding a place to park on campus will be eliminated.

Local businesses can also benefit from online learning. A study was carried out at North Carolina Central University where the students work directly with local manufacturing firms to meet their future workforce needs. Online learning not only trains the workers of the future, it can also provide a career path for someone employed or not employed and needs to learn new skills. Employers should recommend online courses that will help with career advancement and if possible offer tuition re-imbursement.

Ugandans and other African countries should look into online learning and see if it will be suitable for their needs. Online education is the future now.

The writer works with Everjobs Uganda

By Our Reporter

British American Tobacco (BAT) has recorded a drop in net profits from Ushs 36.75 billion in 2014 billion to Ushs 20.29 billion in 2015. This resulted in a 34% dip in net revenue to Ushs 178.73 billion. The company’s cost of operations was also down 34% to Ushs 141.34 billion from Ushs 214.7 billion the previous year. The slowdown in profitability was attributed to the discontinuation of leaf business in September 2014. BAT Uganda now only focuses on selling cigarettes.

Cigarette revenues rose marginally by 6% owing to higher prices in the second half of 2015. The high prices resulted from a 29% increment in excise duty on cigarettes issued in the Financial Year 2015/16 Budget.

BAT’s total assets declined to Ushs 72.64 billion in 2015 from Ushs 218.04 billion previously while total liabilities reduced by 83% to Ushs 25.53 billion. Shareholders’ equity also plummeted to Ushs 47.11 billion from Ushs 63.53 billion.

The company’s directors recommended a dividend of Ushs 413 per share which is 45% lower than FY2014 dividend of Ushs 749. This dividend will be subject to shareholders’ approval at the company’s Annual General Meeting scheduled for 13th May 2016. If approved, the dividend is expected to be paid on or about 21st June 2016 to shareholders on the company’s register as at 31st May 2016.

BAT is poised to face new risks with renewed focus on cigarette sales including regulation (the Tobacco Control Law 2014 which is expected to take effect this year) and illicit trading. BAT is expected to capitalize on its 70% market share to boost revenues. It is worth noting that cigarette revenues have experienced a dropping trend since 2012 registering only a marginal rise of 6% in the past year.

By Isaac Kalembe

On 8th March , Uganda will join the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality’. The idea of this theme is to consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal number five -Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls- and number 4 –Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

Accordingly, on this year’s Women’s Day, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) would like to take stock on progress it has made to achieve gender equality and women empowerment in Uganda, especially in the communications sector.

As an equal opportunity employer, UCC has steadily championed women’s representation at the upper levels of the Commission to historic highs. UCC does not discriminate against women in its recruitment and human resources policy.

Out of the 127 members of staff at UCC currently, 74 are female. Of the 19 Senior Officers at UCC, 6 are female.

At Top Management level, there was no female director or manager in 1998. Currently, however, four out of the nine directors at the Commission are female. These include; Alice Nyangoma (Internal Audit), Harriet Omoding (Human Resources and Administration), Irene Kaggwa Ssewankambo (Engineering and Communication Infrastructure), and Susan Atengo Wegoye (Legal Affairs/Commission Secretary). Two director posts are still vacant.

Even at Board level, females are well represented. Four of the current Board of Directors are female. These include; Nora Mulira, Wardha Mummy Rajab-Gyagenda, Evelyn Gloria Piloya, and Jane Frances Anyango Kabbale. This contrasts with the maiden Board of Directors of 1998 where there was only one female board member.

Similarly, Eng. Dorothy Kabagaju Okello is currently the Governing Council Chairperson of the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT. An institute of strategic importance in the transformation of the Ugandan society through ICT training and application, UICT is owned by UCC. Even the Acting Principal is female.

In addition, the Commission has contributed greatly to the empowerment of women through Information Communication Technology (ICT). Through its flagship universal access program called the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF), UCC has been promoting access and usage of ICT throughout the country, especially among rural communities.

This includes the establishment of ICT Laboratories in more than 1000 government-aided secondary schools. Through this program, girls and female students have been able to access and utilize ICTs in education institutions. Preliminary findings indicate that more girls than boys have been able to utilize ICTs in education.

In addition, UCC has, at the national level, spearheaded the International Girls in ICT Day which is celebrated on 4th April every year. This is based on the realization that girls and young women have the potential not only to become ICT users, but also to become ICT creators. The event is aimed at making girls and young women aware of the vast possibilities ICTs offer, quelling misconceptions about the sector and inviting them to envision their future as ICT creators.

During last year’s Girls in ICT Day, UCC organized an ‘Open Day’ for 100 female students from primary, secondary and university institutions at UCC House, Bugolobi. The day’s activities included a visit to ICT operators and a motivation lecture by female role models in the sector.

Accordingly, UCC encourages women and girls to pursue ICT careers and fosters a more dynamic technology sector, positing extensive benefits for companies. The Commission is also keen to advocate a more gender-balanced workforce reflects the customer base more accurately, enhances productivity and innovation and leads to better financial results.

On this International Women’s Day, UCC reiterates its commitment to empowering women as agents of change. The Commission is keen to support and advocate programs aimed to achieve gender equality in Uganda and elsewhere in the world.

Isaac Kalembe is Senior Officer/Public Relations at UCC

By Our Reporter

Smile Telecom has introduced two first-to-market services namely SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited in all its operating markets. SmileVoice is a free mobile app that enables customers with any Android or Apple iPhone device to use their data bundles to make clear voice, video calls and send SMSs to any number locally and internationally. All calls are charged in MBs to an active data bundle and equated to a local per second call rate.

SmileUnlimited on the other hand provides customers with unlimited access for 30 days over Smile’s 4G LTE broadband network. Any unlimited offering is subject to a fair usage policy (FUP) which ensures that connectivity will be maintained throughout the 30-day period, albeit at declining speeds once the generous FUP is reached. It also provides for the speed to be increased again by the simple purchase of another data bundle.

Irene Charnley, Smile Group’s Chief Executive Officer said, “With the introduction of SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to the advancement of the people of Africa. As the pioneers of SuperFast mobile broadband on the continent, we understand the direct correlation of broadband penetration to the creation of wealth and the acceleration of development. We are expending huge resources to make internet access and clear voice available across all our markets.”

Smile is the first mobile provider in Africa to offer voice over 4G LTE and the first to launch a free voice app to enable customers to access its voice services.

“We made our first Voice over LTE calls in Nigeria during beta-testing in October 2015 and the feedback from our existing customers since our soft-launch early February has been extremely positive. Thousands of our customers now make national and international voice calls using their data bundles,” she added.

The roll-out has been effected in Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition, Smile is set to launch its services in the DRC in 2016.

The telecom recently raised US$ 365 million of debt and equity funding, the first tranche of which has been applied to significantly expand Smile’s existing 4G LTE mobile broadband networks.

By Silvia Nyambura

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has today adapted a more advanced tech savvy E-Collection portal that will enable employers and banks remit employee savings through the digital platform.

E-Collections is an electronic way of processing employee contributions onto their NSSF accounts with minimal manual interventions. It involves having a straight forward process of remitting members’ contributions from the employer through the Bank to NSSF.

The new system provides easy access to NSSF Contribution payments Systems, enables direct upload of Schedules onto the NSSF Server, eliminates errors in the schedules, reduces the amount of paper work required, gives employers access to payments reports and provides a feedback mechanism for employers.

Addressing stakeholders at the Kampala Serena Hotel this morning, NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba said the platform will enable the Fund improve customer experience.

“This system will enable us to improve our data quality while increasing collections by taking away the data management function from the banks in form of receiving and passing on schedules from employers. The process will also ease the mode of contributions payment, enable real time reconciliation between the Banks and NSSF, improve data quality and faster update of member accounts and consequently leading to a faster processing of member benefits,” he said.

Byarugaba explained that by introducing the new system, the employer and employee data quality will be refined and improved in accuracy and completeness.

Standard Chartered Bank Managing Director Herman Kasekende applauded NSSF for being innovative and encouraged all employers to switch to the new advanced portal.

“This system is more convenient and time saving. At Standard Chartered Bank we have already enrolled to the new portal. It will eliminate a lot of errors while posting employee contributions,” Kasekende said.

The E-Collection platform is web based where clients will choose the option of e-Collections payments from NSSF web site. Each Employer is given login credentials to access the E-collections Portal. At the end of the process a Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is generated for the employer and this is what is taken to the bank for payment purposes together with cash or cheque, depending on the payment mode selected.

NSSF partners with Banks to act as a one-stop center for employers to remit payments and the corresponding schedules. Banks are mandated to receive payments and schedules from employers and pass them on to NSSF within a specified amount of time.

By Our Reporter

Merck, a leading science and technology company has appointed Uganda’s Minister of State for Health Sarah Opendi as the ambassador of the ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ campaign. This is in recognition of her support and efforts to reduce the stigma of infertility and raise awareness about the condition in the country.

The company also awarded Berna Amullen, a Ugandan woman, who openly shared her story of stigmatization and suffering for being infertile. The award was in recognition of her courage in creating awareness and sharing her devastating experience so that no other woman would suffer the same.

The ‘Merck More than a Mother’ campaign aims at improving access to quality and safe fertility care across the African continent. Merck is partnering with governments, parliamentarians, academia, medical community, women leaders and media to empower infertile women through improving access to information and healthcare and change of mind set.

“This campaign is a pan-African initiative aimed at building fertility capacity, raising awareness about infertility prevention and male infertility. It also opens a dialogue to define interventions to reduce the stigma and social suffering of infertile women in Africa which includes discrimination and physical and psychological violence. Countless women in Africa face fear, abuse and discrimination every day simply because they are infertile. We want to reduce the harsh social suffering of infertile women in Uganda and on the continent,” said Belén Garijo, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Healthcare.

Hon. Opendi emphasized, “We are happy to partner with reputable and innovative companies such as Merck. We believe that this campaign addresses a very sensitive topic for the first time in Africa. We all know it is there but no one wants to talk about it. This initiative will help to empower infertile women by improving access to information and change in the culture and mind set. Most Sub-Sahara African countries don’t have trained embryologists hence providing training to our embryologists will contribute significantly to improve the quality and accessibility to fertility care to couples in Uganda and Africa so that they can start their families.”

Rasha Kelej the Chief Social Officer Merck Healthcare said, “We will provide training for African embryologists in Indonesia starting with candidates from Uganda and Kenya and will scale up to the rest of the continent. We will also provide education for healthcare providers which will improve basic fertility management and improve awareness about prevention and male infertility which is needed in Africa.”