The Ugandan government has finally approved the ban on importation of used electronic equipment, citing environmental hazards as the main reason- however controversy still threatens the initiative.
Although the law was approved by Parliament last year, the issue was only recently brought again to public attention, following the importers’ constant push for authorities to repeal the law and permit the selling of second-hand computers and other similar equipment, writes Uganda’s daily, The Monitor.
Last year, two trade groups – Dealers in Reconditioned Electronic Equipment (DIREE) and Uganda Electronics and Technicians Association (UETA) – petitioned Parliament to withdraw the law.
The controversy is far from over, as growing environmental concerns and the need for consumers to access low-cost IT equipment need to be balanced.
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has defended the law and plans to establish a recycling centre for electronic goods. The organization suggests that Uganda has been receiving discarded electronic items for years, known as the fastest growing form of waste in the world, rising at a rate of about 50 million tones a year.
Sadly, an estimated 60%-80%, is pushed to developing countries that lack capacity and policies to manage the influx safely.
Importers in Uganda contend that consumers are deprived of low-cost equipment, especially those who can’t afford high-end technology.
Meanwhile, NEMA plans to build a Shs 300 million electronic waste management centre at Namanve industrial park.
“We have around Shs300 million from our environmental fund and we are going to use it to set up the recycling centre”, said NEMA executive director, Aryamanya Mugisha, cited by the Ugandan publication.
NEMA is in discussions with Second Life Uganda, a company based in the Netherlands, to operate the facility, which is expected to come on stream early next year. The facility will store discarded electronic equipment, computers, printers and phones- to be sorted, recycled, re-exported or destroyed in an environmentaly-friendly way.
Mugisha acknowledged that the centre will set up new standards in electronic management in Uganda and create employment in the ICT sector.
