Small and medium enterprises generating smarter applications with the potential of meeting domestic and export requirements can now leverage on a 6.1 billion shilling fund. “So we are trying to see how we can link stakeholders in the supply chain starting from the fish, the fisherman at the lake to the fish suppliers up to the fish exporters. So that we can link each using ICT.” Said, Ovia Matovu – Uganda Fish Exporters’ Association.

The new funding which covers expenditures on tailored applications needed for growth of small and medium enterprises, exposure to international forums and markets is being fronted by the Netherlands government. “So Apps, solutions like the one you have just mentioned to track and trace the fish value chain and connect it to the market, it’s a great smart idea.” Said, Arancha Gonzales – Executive Director, ITC. “This project will fully enhance exporter competitiveness in the IT sector and it will target existing obstacles and challenges like limited business management capacity and export marketing skills.” Said, John Leeksma – Royal Netherlands Embassy.

If successfully channeled out, the government believes it will enable the ICT sector to raise GDP output to 20% by widening the scope of young users of applications who are in their tens of millions. “In five years' time, we envisage that we shall not only have most of the software and applications for service delivery in Uganda developed locally, but we shall also be a net exporter of the ICT’s.” Said, James Saaka – Executive Director, NITA-U. The Netherlands trust fund IV comes at a time when there is renewed interest in taxing the ICT sector by government. “We have over 110 SMEs and start-ups in the project and really our objective is to promote trade between countries.” Said, Richard Okuti – National Coordinator, Netherlands Trust Fund IV.