Chinese-constructed cargo center helps growth of exports in Uganda

KAMPALA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-constructed cargo center at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport is aiding the growth of cargo exports from the East African country, a state-run air transport regulator said Tuesday.

Vianney Luggya, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that the new structure has a bigger space compared to the old one.

"We started using the new cargo center in 2021. This is the third year of use. Definitely, it is facilitating better because it has the capacity to handle 100,000 tonnes of cargo a year," Luggya said.

"Where we were, the facilities were not only old but also constrained in terms of space. In the new cargo center, we have more space and capacity," he said, adding that the old facility was handling less than 50,000 tonnes per year.

Statistics shared by UCAA indicate that the cargo center handled 39,000 tonnes of export cargo in 2021 compared to more than 40,000 tonnes of export cargo handled last year.

"The only part of cargo that has grown is exports. We have more exports than imports. Even the January figures show that exports have grown," Luggya said.

The UCAA January report indicates that Entebbe International Airport handled 3,604 tonnes of export cargo compared to 3,555 tonnes of export cargo in December.

According to the official, most of Uganda's exports are largely fresh produce, including flowers, fish, vegetables, and fruits, with Europe being the major destination.