Uganda government tables Sugar Amendment Bill 2023

The process to regulate Uganda’s sugar industry has commenced with the tabling of the Sugar (Amendment) Bill 2023 which provides for the Uganda Sugar Industry Stakeholder Council.The Uganda Sugar Industry Stakeholder Council will replace and take on duties of the Sugar Board created by the Sugar Act 2020, and regulate the sugar industry in the country.The Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was tabled for first reading by the Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Industry), David Bahati, during plenary sitting, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.Section 13 of the Sugar Act established the Sugar Board as the body responsible for implementing the Act. The board could however not be established because of the government policy on rationalization which restricts the establishment of statutory bodies.The Bill seeks to amend the Act to establish the sugar industry stakeholder council which would comprise representatives of stakeholders in the sugar industry and be funded by a sugar ...