The government has pledged firm support for Mavid Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a Ugandan-owned drug manufacturer, with plans to help the company expand operations and create more jobs.
Minister of State for Privatization and Investment Evelyn Anite made the commitment on Thursday while touring the company’s factory in Bilongo, Kitiko. She said her visit was intended to explore how government could support Mavid with incentives, relocation to an industrial park, and direct market access.
“It’s a very exciting day for me to meet these Ugandan manufacturers,” Anite told reporters. “To see Ugandans manufacturing a range of products… is very exciting. These products are not imported.” 
The minister announced that Mavid will be assisted to move into a government-owned industrial park where it would receive free land, tax breaks and other incentives. She further vowed to lobby President Museveni to secure an off-take agreement with National Medical Stores (NMS) and Joint Medical Stores (JMS) to guarantee a ready market for the company’s products.
Anite praised Mavid’s role in job creation, citing the founder’s daughter who is now self-employed within the business, before calling on Ugandans to support home-grown industries.
“When I say us, I mean buy Uganda, build Uganda,” she said.
At the factory, Mavid’s pharmacist, Dr. Aisha Bukenya, highlighted the company’s drive for quality and contribution to self-reliance in Uganda’s healthcare sector.
“We know that we are the end users of these products,” Bukenya said. “We are meticulous about the quality, right from the raw material to our process to the finished product. We ensure that the quality comes before the profits.” 
She credited the National Drug Authority (NDA) for guiding local manufacturers to meet compliance standards and stressed that the company’s priority is to reduce dependence on imports, a weakness exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mavid has carved a niche in wound-care products and is planning to launch innovations such as an instant hemostatic spray to address the country’s high rate of road accident fatalities. 
Although raw materials are still sourced abroad, Bukenya explained that local manufacturing reduces costs for patients by cutting out foreign middlemen.
The company’s existing product line includes hydrogen peroxide, surgical spirits, Calamine Lotion, cough mixtures and a Mama Kit for expectant mothers.
