The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s invisibility has raised concern among members of parliament.

The Vice Chairperson of the parliamentary Trade committee who is the woman member of parliament for Apac district, Betty Engola, while meeting the private sector foundation Executive Director, Gideon Badagawa, questioned why the Uganda National chamber of commerce and industry (UNCCI)is not vibrant as that of Dubai.

Egola was concerned that the chamber works closely with UAE but its activities are not seen in promoting private business.

The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry has never held its Annual General meeting since 2001 when the current president Olive Kigongo took the leadership of the umbrella body for entrepreneurs and businesses.

In his response, Badagawa stated that the chamber of commerce is killed by lack of cooperate governance and proper procedure to change leadership using its constitution.

He told the committee that the chamber’s books of accounts have not been audited for some time.

He said that until the chamber returns to good practices of cooperate governance it cannot deliver as expected.

He revealed that individual members of the chamber have now opted to leaving it for the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) and others.

The chamber is reported to be facing dwindling membership, high staff turnover and poor morale, revolt and resignations of board members, apathy and disgruntlement at the district levels, mismanagement of company assets and a general failure to meet the objectives of the Chamber, are all problems that are undeniable and unsustainable.

The Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI) is the oldest nation-wide umbrella organization for the private sector in Uganda founded in 1933

UNCCI was created by the business community, as a membership organization to guard their interests, at the time of anxiety caused by the great depression.