HiPipo Money

Our Reporter.

A mobile application (app) for managing truck drivers’ Covid-19 test information has been credited for curbing the spread of the corona virus and guaranteeing safe trade in the East African Community (EAC).

Launched in September 2020 by the EAC secretariat in partnership with TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and the European Union, the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers’ Tracking (RECDTs) APP has since been downloaded and used by more than 70,000 drivers plying EAC cross-border trade routes.

Speaking at the World Trade Organisation Aid for Trade stocktaking virtual conference held last week, Alban Odhiambo, the TMEA Senior Director Trade Environment noted that the RECDTs APP which is readily available on the Google Play store has two versions; one for drivers and the other for the verification officers at the ports.

“Since we launched the APP in September, 2020, more than 72,900 drivers have downloaded it. This represents more than 90 per cent of the cross border trade drivers in the entire EAC,” Mr Odhiambo said, adding;

“The RECDT APP is currently in English but there are on-going efforts to localize and translate the APP, all its features and training material in to French and other languages. What we have created is a framework which didn’t exist before. As we implement it, it is important that all the partner states support it so that it remains in use for more years to come.”

The RECDTS APP is connected to all border agencies across EAC. When a registered driver takes a COVID-19 test, his/her results are automatically sent to the APP in a QR code format. If a blue QR code is displayed, then the driver is negative, if a black QR code is displayed, then the driver’s results have not been captured and if a red QR code is displayed, then the driver is positive and thus must visit the nearest accredited health centre for immediate management and treatment.

Prior to its roll-out, cross-border truckers were faced with long border queues reaching 80kms at some ports, incurred a lot of costs on multiple COVID-19 tests, accommodation and food as they waited for clearance and stigma from local populations that viewed them as mass corona virus spreaders.

This is however no more after RECDTs introduced mutually recognized COVID-19 certificates, reduced congestion at the borders, eliminated multiple testing and reduced cases of infected drivers.

Caroline Kobusinge, a Health Officer at the Malaba One Stop Border Post noted that with this APP, cross-border truckers are seamlessly cleared because by the time they arrive, their certificates are already in the digital system.

“When a driver arrives, he opens the APP on his phone and displays the QR code to the port health official. The port health official scans the QR code to confirm that the results displayed are authentic and thereafter sends the driver to the immigration official who will also re-scan the same code. If both the health and immigration officials find the results authentic, then the driver is cleared to proceed,” Kobusinge noted. 

Additionally, Dr. Atek Kagirita, the Director Public Health at Ministry of Health noted that Uganda is already scaling up the uptake of RECDTs plus including it in the budgeting process so as to ensure sustainability even after the seed funding gets extinct.

 “It was during this COVID-19 pandemic that we got to know that Trade and Health must always work hand in hand. It is extremely important that essential goods and services continue to move but without endangering lives. The RECDTs APP has helped us achieve this. In the face of a pandemic, we are all vulnerable so we must continue to work together.

As a Trade Technology Intervention, RECDTs is part of TMEA’s wider USD 23 million Safe Trade Emergency Facility (STEF) that was created in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19 to support governments to undertake critical measures along the transport and trade routes that will ensure trade continues safely while protecting livelihoods.

Mr Frank Matsaert, the TMEA chief executive officer noted that because COVID-19 is going to be around for quite longer, EAC’s longer term recovery strategies should be strong on the role of digital and technology in enabling trade and protecting livelihoods. 

John Bosco Kalisa.

South Sudan’s integration with East Africa Community (EAC) region will reduce its costs of trade and stimulate economic growth through enhanced participation in regional and global value chains.

Similarly, TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) South Sudan continues supporting the government’s mandate to increase investments and reduce poverty through improving the business environment.

We believe that South Sudan can realise its economic growth by building its strategic partnerships, inspiring political good will from donors and encouraging free movement of goods and people within its country and with its neighbours.

In 2020, we continued supporting the government to strengthen institutional capabilities of Customs by aligning its procedures to those of neighbouring countries; and Standards body, by improving trading standards and sanitary and phytosanitary measures in preparation for future integration with the EAC.

Improving transport infrastructure and service delivery at Nimule Border continues to help seamless flow of humanitarian aid and improve existing and create new trade and work opportunities for border communities.

In the financial year (FY) 2019/20, we focused on completing works at Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) and handed it over on February 6, 2020 to the Government of South Sudan, represented by the the Vice President, H.E Dr. James Wani Igga, and a delegation from Uganda, led by the Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde.

Traders and humanitarian agencies now enjoy faster border processes, less congestion and reduced time and costs to clear goods at Nimule OSBP. Women who form most of the small-scale cross-border traders, have their exports such as shea butter, cleared faster.

Work continued to remove non-tariff barriers (NTBs) along the Nimule-Juba Corridor to quicken truck movement thus reducing transport costs and prices of consumer goods.

Officials were sensitised to detect, report, and jointly resolve any violations to procedures and NTBs along the road. TMEA closely engaged humanitarian partners such as the United Nations, to boost the flow of critical aid into the country.

There are a lot of positive expectations and positive strides for 2021.

The writer is the South Sudan Country Representative for TradeMark East Africa.

Our Reporter.

A famous Luganda proverb says that ‘Atanayitayita, Yatenda Nyina Okufumba’. This when directly translated in to English means that one who hasn’t travelled, is one who praises their mother as the best cook.

While this proverb opens a debate on whether my mother is a better cook than yours and vice versa, it nonetheless maintains one major fact; mothers/women are the best cooks everywhere you go.

Further, different studies and observations reveal one major truth; women pay more attention to details.

For instance, a 2017 article by Rebecca Shambaugh, the founder of Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL) noted that “Women tend to absorb more information through their senses and store more of it in the brain for other uses than men do. Therefore, women generally have more interest in details and pay more attention to them than men do.”

As such, it is not by mistake that Hariss International Limited; a leading manufacturer of food and beverages such as Riham Biscuits, Riham Water, Riham Soft Drinks, Oner Fruit Juice and Rockboom Energy Drink has women at the heart of its Products Quality Assurance.

For the record, 55 (52%) of its 106 staff in the Quality Assurance department are women who spend each and every day researching and discussing numerous ways of improving the quality system thus providing Quality and Safe products to the consumers.

On Wikipedia, Quality assurance (QA) is defined as “a way of preventing mistakes and defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering products or services to customers. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 further defines this as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled”.

To meet the ever growing product quality expectations from customers, Hariss International practices a principle of “Quality First, Quality Always” with women playing a key role as Quality Managers, Assistants and Supervisors.

This women-centric strategy has not only guaranteed continuous adherence to local and global quality requirements of products but has also over the years seen Hariss International attracting and retaining millions of customers plus receiving several Quality Awards including the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Award for Best Beverage Company.

It goes without saying that even though Hariss International was founded by men; women have played and continue to play a pivotal role in its continuous growth. They have chosen to challenge themselves and their male peers to deliver better quality products and thus elevate Hariss International to higher heights.

About Hariss International Limited.

Hariss International Limited is one of Uganda’s leading manufacturers of food and beverages. Since its inception in 2005, its food and beverages production line has been operating under the brand name RIHAM.

RIHAM has grown into a well-known household brand over the years, and has greatly captured the support of the mass market. The brand currently operates a broad product portfolio comprising of Carbonated Soft Drinks, Natural Mineral Water, Juices, Malt & Energy Drinks, Premium & other biscuits.

Harris International Limited is a decorated Ugandan top tax pay, top people investor and a Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) ambassador.  

Our Reporter.

A December 2020 World Health Organisation (WHO) report underlined that non-communicable diseases such as Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Hypertension and Cancers were the leading causes of death in 2019 globally.

As such, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, an increase from 4 of the 10 leading causes in 2000.

In Uganda, over 33 per cent of annual deaths by 2014 were attributed to five NCDs; heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health and substance abuse.

Also referred to as Lifestyle diseases, NCDs are largely caused by what we consume. For example, minus genetic susceptibility, the other main causes of diabetes are overweight, high sugar intake and concentration in the body coupled with physical inactivity.

Nonetheless, if we can manage what we consume, exercise regularly and abide to a healthy diet, then we can definitely reduce the burden of NCDs in Uganda and globally.

One way of achieving this is by taking organic foods and juices such as Oner Apple NO ADDED SUGAR drink. 

Manufactured by Hariss International, Oner Apple NO ADDED SUGAR is made from natural apples with no SUGAR added. A 500ml plastic bottle is available in all retail outlets, supermarkets, bars and restaurants countrywide at a recommended retail price of UGX 2,000. 

Oner Apple drink with no Sugar added is tasty, feels natural and is refreshing. It tastes like real apple blended without sugar. I hope Hariss International can keep this up by ensuring that they keep this without sugar additives and extend other ‘no sugar’  flavours to its Oner mango and berry juices,” Becky Nagasha, noted after testing Oner Apple NO ADDED SUGAR for the first time.

Apples contain a high amount of vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid which can help boost the body’s resistance to both infections and damage to body cells.

Like the saying goes, an Apple a day keeps the doctor away. This Apple is now contained in a single 500ml bottle of Oner Apple NO ADDED SUGAR.

About Hariss International Limited.

Hariss International Limited is one of Uganda’s leading manufacturers of food and beverages. Since its inception in 2005, its food and beverages production line has been operating under the brand name RIHAM.

RIHAM has grown into a well-known household brand over the years, and has greatly captured the support of the mass market. The brand currently operates a broad product portfolio comprising of Carbonated Soft Drinks, Natural Mineral Water, Juices, Malt & Energy Drinks, Premium & other biscuits.

Harris International Limited is a Ugandan top tax pay, top people investor and a Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) ambassador.  

With a passion for customer care, it’s no surprise that Dorah Owiyo Chief Operations Officer of Jumia Uganda has managed to take those customer care skills to the next level by using them to encompass even more stakeholders

Who is Dorah Bazirake Owiyo?

“I am the Chief Operations Officer for Jumia Uganda, a role I have been in for the past 3 years.

My job entails a lot, operations starts from the moment a customer places an order all the way up to when delivery is made. My job is to make sure all the stakeholders in between are happy, including the vendors. So for that I work closely with all departments to make sure everything is running smoothly.” she says

Dorah started off building a career in customer care for over 6 years – first in banking where she started as a customer service executive, worked in customer service for over 6 years. She specialized in making customers always cared for and happy.

“ After I left the bank, I decided to pursue one of my other passions – fashion & design. I enjoy all things that involve art & design so I got into making dresses as well as interior design. While I enjoyed being an entrepreneur, I decided to pursue a career with Jumia because I wanted to have a better understanding of the start up industry having just started one myself.” Dorah added.

At Jumia, she started off by doing what she loves – customer experience. As the head of customer experience she was in charge of making sure customers had an all round great experience when shopping on the app, from the shopping experience on the app, down to the prices of products before she worked her way up to her current role – Chief Operations Officer.

Like every job, it has its challenges, you have to be flexible, quick on your feet to make sure things happen effectively & also to guide the teams. But my passion and experience keep me going.

On what it means working as a woman in a role, she says she strives everyday to challenge stereotypes people have about the role.

“E-commerce is one of those industries where your mind and work speaks for itself – we still have to bridge the gap in terms of women challenging themselves more and being more outspokenHowever I am glad that I have been given a place on the table to make changes and be part of the problem solving.

Day in, Dorah works to challenge any stereotypes & boost the confidence of the women that work with her because it is important to make sure they never feel less than or doubt their skills and capabilities.

Career advice for young women

As women we have more expectations put against us, to take care of ourselves, our homes, our careers but we are naturally graced with the skill to multitask so my advice would be to stay focused, know what you want and don’t be afraid to to challenge the status quo.

Our Reporter.

The official Government Receiver and new Registrar General of Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), today unveiled her strategic plan for the organisation’s future, and announced key initiatives to drive URSB’s vision as the centre of excellence for reliable registration services.

Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho who spoke at a management retreat for Directors, Managers and Senior Staff took time to outline her strategy dotted with aspirations to be achieved during her time of service. The Registrar General emphasized that she would direct her efforts to further strengthening URSB rather than “reinventing” it.

“We can’t change 2020 but we can learn from it to emerge stronger and get better as an organisation and oneself. As we start off a new year, we hope through rolling-out our 2021 objectives that we will make 2021 count for all our stakeholders”. She stated. “My team and I are looking forward to creating a new beginning for URSB – one that is customer-driven, service-oriented, technologically set and that will place our organisation in the forefront of the public service sector for the 21st century. Our collective knowledge, operational expertise, services experience, interpersonal skills and leadership abilities will serve us well as we confront any challenges that lie ahead”.

In calling for a new beginning for URSB, Ms. Kainobwisho emphasized her intention to build upon URSB’s existing employee base to create a team that is unmatched in the Government services category. “We have a strong, unified workforce – one that now has a very personal stake in the way we deliver services to our clients,” Mercy said. “URSB’s accomplishments will be a direct reflection of the responsibility and pride of service from each and every employee.”

Kainobwisho noted that together with her team, she plans to immediately address customer service and turn-around time issues, such as the time it takes to deliver on a customer’s submission and how long a customer has to wait to speak to a service representative. She also reiterated URSB’s commitment to ensuring that registration services continue to support Government’s economic vision of formalizing the economy, easing the doing of business, strengthening the basic of society through stable marriages, supporting creativity, innovation through intellectual property rights and rescuing ailing entities

“We have immense opportunities before us, and we intend to seize them with the understanding that change takes time, and we must be realistic in our expectations. We have one goal in mind, and that is to make URSB the best public services agency, which, in turn, support the livelihoods of people, collect revenue for government and support the social economic vision of our nation. We are ready to get started.”

The retreat also provided an opportunity for senior management to discuss at length areas of focus for URSB in the upcoming months and share ideas on how to support each other to realize the organisation’s  mandate as envisioned in the 3rd strategic development plan (SDP III) which plugs into the National Development Plan.