Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) resumed the Annual Supplier’s Forum since the last one in 2018. The workshop was held on Thursday, 28th November, at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe, with attendance by different procurement officers and suppliers to UCAA from different companies.
The theme for this Supplier’s Forum was “Collaboration and Partnership for Sustainable Procurement” with an emphasis on learning and networking.
While officiating the event, the UCAA’s deputy director general, Olive Birungi Lumonya said that to strengthen collaboration with all the suppliers of the airport, this session will now be held annually to gather valuable feedback on how to manage the procurement processes.
She explained that since 2019, CAA has implemented the eGP system to ensure a more sustainable and efficient procurement process, adding that “this eGP system not only enhances accountability and efficiency but also aligns with CAA’s vision of sustainability by reducing paperwork and streamlining operations.”
The deputy director general also emphasized their commitment to ensuring that processes benefit not just UCAA but also the partners, by creating a fair, inclusive, and innovative procurement environment.
“Looking ahead, we envision Entebbe International Airport becoming the first airport to champion a green environment. However, achieving this goal requires your active support and partnership as we work together towards sustainability,” Lumonya concluded.
Engineer Ayub Sooma, the UCAA’s director of airports and aviation security, noted that procurement and logistics are a cornerstone of Uganda’s economy, whereby connecting suppliers to manufacturers and consumers to businesses already supports the growth of various industries and turn, it plays a critical role in enabling the growth of our economy.
“Suppliers play a very important role in keeping us at the forefront of economic growth. As a reputable Authority supervising the Aviation Industry in Uganda, UCAA has more than 500 suppliers registered with us. These cover areas including works, services, suppliers, and freight forwarding and trucking working together to make sure we meet the user requirements,” he said.
Eng Sooma also highlighted that the Authority’s capital and operation budget has kept growing over time, which creates a good potential to transform service delivery and growth to business, and with changes in the business environment and technological requirements, they believe such an event is paramount for them to share information, update themselves with the latest in the logistics profession as well as receive valuable feedback from the suppliers.
In addition, he revealed that Uganda is one of the highest-ranked African countries on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, which is a milestone, and therefore urged the suppliers not to rest on that success.
“To position the procurement and logistics sector for continued success, we need not only strong enterprises, but the biggest challenge raised when I speak to fellow industry leaders is to make sure that our people, the human capital, can keep up with changes and be able to deliver on the needs of the industry. We therefore call on our suppliers to recruit a capable workforce that is crucial to this process if you are to face the challenge of competing with regional and international firms.”
His perspective is that Uganda’s logistics sector has all the necessary ingredients to succeed, but the only thing that is holding them back is the lack of capacity development to compete regionally and globally even when they have support from Government agencies.
“I can inform you that UCAA has continuously added value to its employees through capacity building, and I can assure you that the sky will be the limit when you understand our bid requirements and are prepared to work with us. I want to request you to make use of this forum to learn from one another, network, and share your challenges, test out your ideas to find new partners to expand your networks and scale your businesses,” he emphasized.
In conclusion, the UCAA’s director of airports and aviation security appreciated the Public Procurement & Disposal Asset (PPDA) for their continuous efforts in taking the lead on initiatives to uplift the procurement and logistics industry in Uganda, which has led to a lot of developments in the country.
Catherine Natukunda, the senior officer of Procurement Capacity Building at the Public Procurement and Disposal Asset (PPDA), said that highlighted that their main role in the training was to bring to the suppliers and other stakeholders the key highlights regarding the new PPDA law amendments.
“We had new regulations in place in 2023 and these were brought into practice in February 2024 to ensure that we have an improvement in the way we handle public procurement,” she added.
Natukunda also noted that PPDA has been working closely with Ministries, Departments & Agencies (MDAs), and the private sector to develop specialized capabilities in supply chain management and this requires a deep understanding of the user requirements / technical specifications, an understanding of roles as contract management, and the meeting of standards and technologies to meet the user needs.
About UCAA
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is a corporate entity established in 1994 under the CAA Act No 3 of 1994, Cap 354. The key function of UCAA is to provide support and promote the safe, secure, efficient, and regular use and development of civil aviation services within Uganda.
The Authority’s responsibilities include;
Licensing (Licensing air transport services and aviation crew), Regulation (Implementing Ugandan and international aviation law), Airports (Owning and operating airports and aerodromes, including Entebbe International Airport), Air traffic control (Providing air navigation services), Search and rescue (Coordinating and directing search and rescue services), International representation (Representing Uganda in the aviation community and international aviation matters) and Government advice (Advising the Ugandan government on civil aviation policy, international convention, and other matters).
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