KAMPALA – The Ministry of Trade and Industry has issued detailed guidelines that traders are supposed to follow when reopening wholesale and hardware shops.
The President in his address of Monday, May 4, announced that wholesale shops, hardware shops and garages among others would open as part of essential service providers under the phased lifting of the lockdown.
Below are the detailed guidelines
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Subsequent to the Cabinet meeting of 04th May 2020, His Excellency the President issued guidelines intended to balance the control of COVID-19 and the socioeconomic environment and productivity. Thus, the criteria include:
1. Contribution to the economy/economic impact
2. The risk of transmission and potential to mitigate the risk based on the sector activities and crowding
3. Socio-economic vulnerability; and
4. Expanded capacity for surveillance, testing and care as more sectors are opened.
Hereinbelow are the new guidelines that should take effect 06th May 2020 covering the sectors of agriculture, industry and services as follows:
Agriculture Sector to open
• Food markets
• Essential wholesale shops such as veterinary, medicine and agricultural inputs
Industry sector to open
• Hardware shops
• Metalworks
• woodworks
• warehouses
Services sector to open
• Insurance providers
• Quotas of lawyers to be permitted to work ( 30 in number to be coordinated by Uganda Law Society)
• Restaurants but only to taking aways
• Garages
• Spare parts outlets
The ‘status-quo’ remains for the following measures:-
• Public and private cars still not operational. Only vehicles with stickers to move.
• Schools plus other facilities that attract large numbers to stay closed.
• Airport and borders stay closed transport
• To facilitate those working, use of branded buses by Companies for the employees; individuals could either walk or cycle to work.
Specifically, wholesale shops allowed to operate, are only the ones dealing in essential products such as foodstuff, medicines, Agriculture inputs and veterinary shops.
Since garages were opened, spare parts shops are also to open to supply the garages with the necessary equipment.
However, standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be adhered to in managing all the above operations.
The previous guidelines that were issued on April 14th 2020 for a 21-day lockdown are still operational until today May, 05th, 2020.
Therefore the extended 14-days commence on the 06th May 2020.
