Presidential Investors Round Table (PIRT)

BACKGROUND:

The Presidential Investors’ Round Table (PIRT), which is chaired by H.E the President, is a high level forum that brings together a select group of both foreign and local investors to advise Government on how to improve the investment climate in the country.

The PIRT process and engagement, which is coordinated by the Rt Honourable Prime Minister in collaboration with UIA, has continued to grow and develop since its launch in 2004. Previous PIRT Phases have focused on selected strategic thematic areas namely:

PIRT Phase I (2004 to 2006):

 i) Agribusiness,

ii) Information and Communications Technology,

iii) Education,

iv) Infrastructure,

v) the Regulatory Environment.

 PIRT Phase II (2007 to 2009): 

i) Agriculture (Forestry, Biotechnology and Agro processing),

ii) ICT/Business Processing Outsourcing,

iii) Business Climate,

iv) Mining and Petroleum,

v) Tourism.

 PIRT Phase III (2009 to 2012): 

i) Agricultural Production and Value Addition,

ii) Competitiveness in Doing Business,

iii) Transport and Logistics,

iv) E-Government,

v) Creative Industry,

vi) Petroleum (Oil and Gas)

 PIRT Phase III (2013 to 2015)

i) Agriculture Development,

ii) Information and Communications Technology,

iii) Oil and Gas

JUSTIFICATION:

The Presidential Investors Round Table is used as a vehicle for Public Private Dialogue. It acts a business – government coordination mechanism. The work of PIRT also helps development partners especially World Bank`s private sector development and investment climate programmes. PIRT`s are also undertaken in various African Countries including; Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Tanzania.

CURRENT STATUS:

PIRT Phase V (2015 to 2017): was launched on Wednesday 19^th August 2015 and focuses on four thematic areas namely

i) Energy and Petroleum (Oil and Gas),

ii) Minerals and Mineral Beneficiation,

iii) Tourism

iv) Uganda`s Competitiveness and ease of doing Business.

Each area is handled by a Technical Working Group of private and public sector members.  The Secretariat Team is composed of UIA Staff who render services (sector specific research, document review, initiating meetings, advising the Chair, linking private sector and Government,etc) to various Technical Working Groups (TWG) formed along thematic lines above.

The Office of the Prime Minister and UIA continues to coordinate the process with Africa Matters headed by Baroness Lynda Chalker, the project consultant.

SOME OF THE REMARKABLE POLICY OUTCOMES FROM THE VARIOUS PIRTS ARE DETAILED BELOW: