Formal greetings are important to Ugandans, so always be polite, shake hands and enquire how they are when meeting someone. To make a good impression at business meetings, men should wear a smart suit and tie, while women should dress professionally. English is generally used for all business discussions and as a rule, all appointments should be made in advance.
Office hours:Mon-Fri 0800-1300 and 1400-1700.
Economy:Agriculture dominates the Ugandan economy, accounting for half of total output and employing over 80% of the workforce. The industrial sector produces textiles, cement, fertilisers and metal goods. There are deposits of copper and cobalt. In addition, there are known deposits of tin, tungsten, beryllium and tantalum ores.
The economy recorded fairly steady economic growth throughout most of the last decade (6% annual growth in 2007) but growth of 4.4% in 2012 is the lowest recorded for more than 10 years. Inflation stood at 6.8% in November 2013, as the country recovered from droughts earlier in the year. Increased periods of drought, high energy costs, poor transportation infrastructure and instability in the surrounding regions inhibit Uganda’s economic development, but there is optimism that the discovery of oil and gas will lead to a boost in the country’s economy.
The most pressing problem has been the country's debt burden. Its total external debt now stands at just under US$5.8 billion. In exchange for debt cancellation programmes, the government has been obliged to introduce a series of economic reforms, principally the removal of price controls and trade restrictions and a reduction in government spending. Uganda is a member of the African Development Bank and of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In 2003, Uganda joined with neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania in a plan to revive the East African Customs Union (a previous attempt folded in 1977).
GDP:US$51.27 billion (2012).
Main exports:Coffee, fish and fish products, tea, tobacco and cotton.
Main imports:Capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies and cereals.
Main trading partners:Kenya, Belgium, UAE, China and the Netherlands.
Service for local calls is unreliable. Phone shops are available in towns.
Mobile phone:Coverage extends to all major towns and international roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies.
Internet:There are internet cafés in most large towns.
Post:Airmail to Europe can take from three days to several weeks.
Post office hours:Mon-Fri 0800-1230 and 1400-1700. Some post offices are open Sat 0900-1300.
Media:Uganda has been a pioneer of liberalisation in the African media. Private radio and television stations have thrived since the government loosened its control of the media in 1993, with over two dozen daily and weekly newspapers and many radio stations. Ugandans have unrestricted access to international media and around 15% of the population accessed the internet in 2012.
While the country’s laws allow for freedom of expression in the press, there have been clashes between media outlets that have been critical of policies and the government.
English-language papers include private daily The Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug) and state-owned daily New Vision (www.newvision.co.ug). Vernacular papers include state-owned Bukedde (www.bukedde.co.ug), Etop (www.etop.co.ug) and Rupiny (www.rupiny.co.ug).
UBC TV is the public broadcaster and private channels include WBS and Nation TV. Radio is the most widely accessed news medium, with more than 180 private radio stations and an increasing number of community radio stations throughout the country. UBC Radio is a publicly run station that operates five stations in Uganda. It can be heard across the country in English and vernacular languages. Private stations include Radio Simba, Capital Radio and KFM.
