In the first part, the latest investment climate and business opportunities in Uganda was introduced by Ms. Sarah Nassimbwa, the Investment Executive of UIA.

The panel session was joined by Japanese companies which import attractive products from Uganda to Japan (Crystal Coffee : fair trade coffee, FAR EAST : dried fruits, RICCI EVERYDAY : Africa pattern bags) and provide services in Ugandan markets (COTS COTS : Japanese restaurants and agricultural production, value chain, and sales, CourieMate : mobile delivery service). The session highlighted the perks of doing business in Uganda, including entrepreneurship, success, challenges, and potential with the actual voices from the ground. The seminar recognized the challenges and opportunities in Uganda, and Ms. Sarah Nassimbwa promised the continuous support from UIA.

The presentation materials shared during the seminar can be found in the section below this page.

Outline

Date:	Wednesday, 16 March, 2022
Time:	16:00-17:30 (JST)/ 10:00-11:30 (EAT)
Organizers:	UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda
Language:	Japanese/English (Simultaneous interpretation)
Registration fee:	Free of charge
MC:	Ms. Maki Imazu, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo

 

Programme 

(JST/EAT)
16:00/10:00    Opening Remarks 　
    Mr. Shadraque Wasike MULIJO, Chargés d’affaires ad interim, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda

16:05/10:05    Presentation: “Investment Opportunity in Uganda”
    Ms. Sarah Nassimbwa, Investment executive, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)

16:20/10:20　　Panel Session: “Doing Business in Uganda”
    Panelists:
      Mr. Masahiro Shimizu, COTS COTS Ltd.
      Mr. Hiroshi Matsumoto, Managing Director, CourieMate
      Mr. Masayoshi Kinoshita, CEO, Crystal Co., Ltd.
      Ms. Kasumi Abe, FAR EAST, Inc.
      Ms. Chizu Nakamoto, CEO, Ricci Everyday, Co., Ltd.

17:25/11:25    Closing Remarks
      Mr. Yuko Yasunaga, Head, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo

17:30/11:30    End

Panelists

	Ms. Sarah Nassimbwa (UIA, Investment Executive) SARAH Nassimbwa is an Investment Executive at Uganda Investment Authority in the Investment Promotion and Business Development Division. She possesses expertise knowledge and experience for over 7 years, in investment and business advisory services, social entrepreneurship as well as global business strategy approaches. Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Uganda Christian University – Mukono. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Makarere University. She holds a diploma in Global Business Strategy and a Certificate of training in Entrepreneurship in Emerging economies from University of Maryland Robert H Smith School of Business.
	Mr. Masahiro Shimizu (COTS COTS Ltd.) After graduating from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Economics in 2006, he co-founded COTS COTS LTD in 2015 after working for BNP Paribas Securities Ltd. and a hedge fund in Singapore. In 2018, COTS COTS opened “Yamasen Japanese Restaurant” and the shopping complex “Tank Hill Park” in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Tank Hill Park received the Good Design Gold Award 2020 and the 4th JAPAN Construction International Award, an award from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
	Mr. Hiroshi Matsumoto (CourieMate Uganda (Subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.), Managing Director) Hiroshi Matsumoto joined R&D division of YAMAHA MOTOR in 2005 and engaged in the several technology developments. From 2019, Hiroshi is responsible for the new business development in Africa region and launched new projects in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. Since 2020, Hiroshi has been focusing on the last one-mile delivery business in Uganda and leads the local delivery company “CourieMate” to practice the Mobility as a Service in emerging markets.
	Mr. Masayoshi Kinoshita (Crystal Co., Ltd., President) After study abroad at Dalian University of Foreign Languages. Joined Katsuhara Coffee Company. In 1998, traveled to UGANDA to import its coffee beans.  Joined TICAD, EXPO 2005 AICHI, JAPAN and carried out popularization activities of UGANDA coffee beans. In2014, received an award HIGASHIKUNINOMIYA-BUNKAHOUSYO by the social contribution to the poor.
	Ms. Kasumi Abe (FAR EAST, Inc./CARVAAN Div. Restaurant Manager) Kasumi Abe is a CARVAAN TOKYO Restaurant Manager who joined FAREAST in 2012 after studying international relations at university. Using her experience visiting Uganda as an area manager of FAREAST BAZAAR, her mission is to disseminate information about Uganda to Japan. She is planning a program to invite AIDS orphans from Uganda to visit Japan. During JICA seminar she plans to introduce about the business model, JALI organic project of Uganda.
	Ms. Chizu Nakamoto (COO of RICCI EVERYDAY (Japan)/Managing Director of rebeccakello Limited (Uganda)) Born in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1984. After graduated from the graduate school of Hitotsubashi University (Master of Law) researching on the post-conflict elections conducted in Sub-Sahara Africa, she started her career working for the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ engaging as an account officer to provide the clients with various kinds of financial services. In 2011 she quitted her job at the bank and joined one of the major agricultural NGO in Sub-Sahara Africa, called Sasakawa Africa Association, to support small-holder farmers to improve their agricultural productivity and livelihoods and got transferred to Kampala office in Uganda in 2014. At one point her friend took her to local market in Uganda, encountered colorful and playful African prints, and got fascinated with its unique design and combination of various colors. She started her own project with single mothers to produce high-quality products using African prints with unique design. Finally she decided to establish a company in Japan with her mother in 2015, who is in charge of sales, and a company in Uganda was established in 2016 as production company. Now the company is hiring 19 local staff supporting their livelihoods as well as pursuing the economic growth of the company. Her interest is how we create the place where everyone can live with pride appreciating and growing their own talents.

Speakers

Mr. Mulijo Wasike Shadraque (Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda- Tokyo) (MA Econ. Int. Trade, MMS Public Admin, BSc. Econ, Dip. Regional Trade Policy) Fourteen (14) years of experience in Uganda’s foreign service having served at the Department of Multilateral Organizations and Treaties of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala and Uganda High Commission in Tanzania. Served as Head of Protocol at State House of Uganda for two (2) years prior to posting in Japan. Erstwhile ccorporate experience with stints at Barclays Bank Uganda, Uganda Telecom and MFI Office Solutions Kampala. Currently executing as Commercial Counsellor at Uganda Mission in Japan.

Mr. Yuko Yasunaga (Head, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo) Mr. Yasunaga has had an extensive career with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), with expertise in the areas of Natural Resources Development and Promotion of Industrial Science/Technology. Dr. Yasunaga was Vice-President and later Councilor of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) from 2013 – 2017 and held key managerial posts within METI from 2002 – 2013. Dr. Yasunaga holds a Ph.D. in Engineering, from the University of Tokyo.

Contact for inquiries

Ms. Imazu, Ms. Matsumoto, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo
E-mail: itpo.tokyo@unido.org

Materials