President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that National Intellectual Property Policy will give innovators the full protection of the law through patents, copyright, trademarks among others.
According to H.E Museveni, this process will enable the innovators to earn their rightful recognition and financial returns for their toil and sweat.
Gen.Museveni echoed that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government continues to support all innovations aimed at increasing the profitability of Ugandans engaged in various enterprises.
“It is important that Government creates an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive. The improvement in the quality of human life and man’s transition from a primitive existence to modernity are attributed to the discoveries in medicine, engineering, architecture etc. It is through the creations of the human mind that we have been able to tame nature throughout the four and a half million years of man’s existence on earth. Therefore, it is crucial that individuals or groups are rewarded for their innovations,” President Museveni said on Wednesday while officiating the launch of the National Intellectual Property Policy and the Security Interest in Movable Property Registry (SIMPO) jointly with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
Further, the president who has been in power since 1986, said the NRM Government’s drive towards industrialisation is based on scientific research and innovation to support value addition on our local products.
“Uganda is endowed by nature with a wide variety of raw materials that can be processed into finished products. Our agricultural value chain for most products is still incomplete. This means that we are exporting raw materials which fetch less revenue for the Country and donating jobs to other people. For instance, our youth can be helped to make quality hand bags and shoes from the cow hides and skins.
The National Intellectual Property Policy does not cover only the work of scientists. It also protects the creative works of artists like songs, paintings, literary writings etc. For many years, African Literature was mainly oral and was passed on from generation to generation through storytelling, songs, chants etc. We now have an opportunity to preserve our rich African Literature through copyright.
The same will apply to the local music productions by some of our young people that Ugandans like listening to,” Museveni,76, said.
“ This is a significant achievement which will encourage the development of talent and reward the hard work of dedicated individuals in the entertainment industry.
Finally, the Security Interest in Movable Property Registry System will enable Ugandans to use their moveable assets as collateral to borrow money for their businesses from financial institutions.”
For entrepreneurship, agriculture and industrialization to thrive in Uganda, Government will continue to address the issue of high lending rates amongst financial providers, the president said.
However, several people have welcomed the policy which they described as one of the best but expressed concern that it will also be ineffective like several others that have been passed before it.
Analysts say Uganda has several good laws and policies, however, the problem is in implementing them.