Dr. Bitature applauds the gov’t for enabling investment as Chint Meters and Electrical is inaugurated
Drake Nyamugabwa
With the coming on board Chint Meters and Electrical Limited the government and business leaders have said that manufactures meters at Mbale Sino Industrial Park will help ease access to power, create jobs and promote import substitution.
Chint Meters and Electrical (U) Ltd, a joint venture between Chint, Tiantang and Kampala Electric Mart, produces single-phase meters with an annual output of 300,000 units.
On Saturday while inaugurating the factory stakeholders pictured above were ted to their plant for a site visit in Mbale Sino Industrial Park.
The chairman Simba Group and UMEME Dr. Patrick Bitature applauded the entity for venturing into meters production since it is one of the key steps that will catapult the process of electrification in the country.
“These are standard meters produced in Uganda and the government should impose taxes on the imported ones so that local investors are supported in their endeavors that are creating jobs, adding value and building the economy” he said
He appreciated government for creating enabling factors that have favoured the establishment of factories in industrial parks that will be spur development.
The CHINT Meters and Electricals Uganda limited, General Manager, Mr. Johhy Zhui Xio said that they have invested heavily in the business and their single phase smart meters have magnetic field detection , high security and are configurable for both prepaid and post functions.
David Livingstone Ebiru, Executive Director , Uganda National Bureau of Standards ( UNBS) confirmed that the products meet the standards and thanked the company for creating jobs since such kind of manufacturing is what the country needed.
“Having such meters that are available and manufactured here will fasten the government programme of rural electrification especially in the hard-to-reach areas because meters are some of the most expensive accessories in installation and the local content has addressed it” Ebiru added.
Mbale Sino Industrial park is one of the initiatives by the government of Uganda that was opened by H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2018 to boost local investment.
