By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: In a bid to ease communication in Uganda through setting up Information Communication Technology (ICT) facilities Frank K.Tumwebaze, the Minister for ICT, on Friday launched a Chinese plant that is set to manufacture mobile phones, I-Pads and computers in Uganda.
The Chinese electronics firm known as ENGO Holdings Limited, joined Uganda’s industrial sector to domestically manufacture and assemble mobile phones, iPads and laptop computers, which are key ICT gadgets. Spy Uganda has learnt that the plant is already taking shape in Namanve Industrial Park.
Construction works at the plant expected to last six months commenced on Friday morning with a groundbreaking ceremony presided over by State Minister for Investment Evelyn Anite and the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Frank Tumwebaze.
Ares Chow Yu Qing, the Executive Director ENGO Holdings Limited, said the firm will unveil the first generation of products manufactured and assembled from the plant to the market before close of 2019.
Chow said “The plant will rely on Chinese imported mainboards, screen touch panels, battery, Cameras and speaker receivers and vibrators as well as circuits for the domestic manufacture of the phones until qualified workers have been trained to undertake the commercial process from home.”
He added that “The firm will invest USD15 Million, about (Shs55.6 Billion) over five years to increase the production capacity from initial 1 Million mobile phone gadgets a year to its maximum. The firm’s trademark is known as Simi Mobile and will produce both cheap analogue and Smartphones.
“We will do this step by step. We will use experienced Ethiopians until we have trained our own workforce. So we will start will 100,000 gadgets per month. For Computers, the target Computers is One Million a year – depending on demands. But we will bring more machines if the demands are high” Chow added.
Tumwebaz said the development is a huge milestone for the country. He urged the franchise to explore the use of Uganda’s manufactured software in their manufacturing value chain.
