Entebbe International Airport is a key entry for Uganda and because of its strategic location, criminals, especially drug traffickers, have been taking advantage by using it as a destination and transit route for drugs.
However, with the launch of Air Cargo Control Unit-office(ACCU), some of these crimes will gradually phase away. Speaking at the engagement at Imperial Heights hotel, Catherine Muyama, the Customs Regional Manager Entebbe noted that the office will address trafficking of various illicit goods. These include; drugs, wildlife, precursor chemicals, firearms, weapons of mass destruction, counterfeit products, nuclear material and other forms of organized crime activity.
The Commissioner Customs, Abel Kagumire expressed gratitude to the European Union, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) for their valuable cooperation to Uganda towards trade facilitation.
According to Kagumire, the initiative is a welcome development towards increased trade volumes through the Airport. For example, for the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21; the volume of imports through the airport grew by 58% that is from approximately $1.956 billion dollars to $3.367Bn respectively. Similarly, exports grew by 38.9% from $2.322Bn to $3.227Bn. With the ACCU initiative, these volumes are expected to double. Read Full Article....