President Museveni has returned the National Local Content Bill, 2022 to Parliament for consideration. According to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, the president wants the House to review several clauses including sections 1(c) and 1 (g) of the Bill.
Section 1( c) states that the Local Content Bill, if assented to would apply to the Mining Act, Electricity Act, Uganda Tourism Act, and investment licensing incentives, which already have provisions on local content.
Meanwhile, section 1(g) and Section 26 require government’s internally and externally acquired resources to comply with local content obligations, which he noted are not practical.
The president also noted that section 4 gives preferential treatment to Ugandan goods, works, and services, yet it contradicts with East African Community protocol on the free movement of goods.
Among has sent the Bill to the finance committee and directed that it should be brought back within a week.
The Bill seeks to plug the gaps in other existing local content policies, legislations and guidelines, including the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, 2003, BUBU policy, the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act, 2013, among others.
Once passed, the Bill will apply to all government or loan-funded projects.
