The Minister for the Presidency , Mrs. Babirye Milly Babalanda has applauded the senior management of Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) for steering the the Corporation to a financially stable position while delivering quality work for both government and the private sector .
Minister Mrs. Babalanda was on Wednesday addressing the management and staff of UPPC’s after she approved the corporation’s workplan and Shs20.6 billion budget for the next financial year 2022/2023.
The Minister for the Presidency provides oversight to the operations of UPPC- a public enterprise with the mandate to supply stationery and provide printing and publishing facilities to all government ministries and departments as well as interested private entities.
The minister advised the UPPC management to publicize its role and services so that its better appreciated by the general public . Mrs. Babalanda was happy to note that UPPC will be celebrating 120 years of existence.
“I was glad to learn of your plan to celebrate 120 years of UPPC this year. This is a very brilliant idea that I read and blessed and I very well know that it will help us to showcase to the public what we are doing. The public out there knows so little about the UPPC. Many think that UPPC is only producing the Uganda Gazette. They do not know that we are able to do so much in printing works, publishing and even advertisements,” Mrs Babalanda urged during a meeting that took place at the Corporation’s Head Offices in Entebbe.
“This event should be a major reunion of the printing and publishing fraternity and it should also be extended to have a roundtable dinner of the corporate class to share with them our plans and strategies. Let us use the event to improve our image and sell ourselves,”she added.
The Minister urged the UPPC management and s to put to proper use the funds that have been allocated to the corporation while working towards clearing the debts .
“We need to attract more business to the UPPC and to obtain more friends and clients. This however, can only be achieved if we work as a strong team of brothers and sisters. ”
Mr. Kenneth Oluka giving Minister Babalanda a guided tour of the UPPC printring facilities.
Minister Babalanda inspected the various production, printing and publishing facilities at UPPC offices where she interacted and had a light moment with employees.
She commend management for making a good decision to construction a new Uganda Security Printing Company-USPC factory.
Mr. Kenneth G. Oluka, the Acting Managing Director of UPPC thanked the minister for her guidance to ensure that UPPC regains its market share and increase its financial sustainability. He assured the minister and the general public that by 2024, UPPC will be a top game changer in the printing industry in Uganda.
Oluka highlighted UPPC ‘s key achievements for the period December 2021 to June 2022-when he was appointed MD- which include among others the development of -a 5 year strategic plan which responds -to environment and industry trends to reposition the corporation as a leader in the sector and procurement of state of the art HP Indigo five colour machine which was purchased at Shs2 billion.
“We are up to date on payment of taxes with proper documentation as per the Minister’s instructions. We have also intensified recovery of debts with a collection of up to Shs5.9 billion,” Mr Oluka statded adding that they have been able to pay suppliers up to Shs5.8 billion and they now owe them only Shs200 million.
” In that regard the UPPC management has come up with this budget aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the corporation to deliver on its mandate of printing and publishing. The budget is aimed at improving quality, quantity, diversity of UPPC products and to reduce on the turn around time, with a view of increasing and strengthening the Corporation’s profitability,” Mr. Oluka explained.
Sadat Kisuyi, the Assistant Commissioner Finance and Planning at the Presidency, tasked UPPC to put their 5 year strategic plan into action since the current stiff market competition calls for innovative ways of doing business. “The budget estimates are realistic, that’s why the minister has given it an approval. Let everybody do whatever they are supposed to do to rebrand UPPC because good image and quality are key.” Mr. Kisuyi advised.
