Uganda to start review of MSME policy

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Uganda will begin reviewing its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) policy and National Standards Framework on December 2, a move officials say is meant to update outdated rules and support small businesses that anchor the country’s growth plans.

Speaking to journalists in Kampala, the Ministry of Trade and its partners will hold a National Catalytic Stakeholder Consultation next week that will bring key players in the space.

Officials said the review will guide how MSMEs meet standards, access markets and contribute to the government’s long-term 10-fold growth strategy.

Patrick Mugisha, the commissioner, business development and quality assurance at the Trade ministry, said the 2015 MSME policy and the 2012 standards and quality policy no longer match the country’s economic ambitions.

He noted that government’s plan to build a $500b economy driven largely by MSMEs in the sectors of agro industrialisation, tourism, mineral value chains, innovation, ICT and the creative sector.

Mugisha said a revised policy will align Uganda’s legal and regulatory systems with priority sectors and give small firms a clearer path to growth. He added that the ministry wants the public involved from the start.

“MSMEs are the champions and drivers of this economy. Some of the key challenges they are facing are systemic, such as the informality, access to markets, and finance, among others. By next June 2026, we will have a draft of the new policy after consultations, and then it will go through the cabinet and all the other procedures,” he said.

Damali Ssali, country director for the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, said food businesses make up about 70% of Uganda’s MSMEs. Without improved standards, she said, many will continue to find it hard to supply local markets or meet export requirements.

She said the ministry’s decision to involve MSMEs before drafting the new policy is welcome. She said it will give stakeholders a rare chance for businesses to influence rules that shape their environment.

The International Trade Centre (ITC) also launched a Good Governance Guide for national quality infrastructure institutions, a tool meant to harmonise and improve transparency within standards bodies such as the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.

Jacquiline Pimer, ITC’s SB4U coordinator for Africa, said the guide will help MSMEs meet export standards and improve the quality of products for local consumers.

The December 2, 2025, consultation is expected to gather government, development partners and private sector groups. Officials say the outcome will shape the rules that determine how Uganda’s small businesses compete in local and global markets.