WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/673 
31 March 2006 
 (06-1477) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS AGREEMENT 
 
Information for the Workshop on 31 March 2006
 
 
Communication from Uganda  
  
 The following communication, received on 29 Marc h 2006, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of Uganda. 
 
_______________ 
  1. In preparation for the Workshop on the Implem entation of the SPS Agreement, participants 
were invited to provide information relating to th eir experiences in relation to the issues to be 
discussed. 
Participation in meetings of the SPS Committee 
(a) Attendance is irregular. 
(b) The meetings are mainly attended by Geneva -based trade representatives and usually without 
technical information and data from Uganda. 
(c) Information regarding the SPS Committee mee tings is downloaded from WTO website and 
distributed to the members of the Nationa l TBT/SPS Committee by the Secretariat (UNBS). 
 
SPS National Committee 
(a) There is a National TBT/SPS Committee composed of public sector agencies and private 
sector associations. 
(b) SPS notifications are distributed to stakeholde rs through the representatives of the National 
TBT/SPS Committee, i.e. the Committee provi des a mechanism for distribution of 
notifications. 
(c) Effective dissemination of information about SPS requirements to all stakeholders and 
feedback remains a big challenge.  This requi res commitment at all levels to be achieved 
through sensitization, training and provision of adequate resources. 
(d) There has not been a national planning on implementation of SPS requirements. 
(e) Technical assistance needs are usually identif ied through public institutions.  This is 
uncoordinated and not effectively matched to prio rities.  Duplication of donor efforts should 
be discouraged by coordinating donor efforts.  A lead donor/implementing agency such as 
UNIDO and the European Communities can be sel ected to chair a committee to coordinate 
the donor support in the SPS area. G/SPS/GEN/673 
Page 2  
 
  Terms of Reference for the Nati onal TBT/SPS Co-ordination Committee 
(a) Identify the inter-institutional linkages con cerned and national TBT and SPS notification 
points; 
(b) Identify any gaps, overlaps and duplications with  a view to streamlining them to move the 
country forward; 
(c) Streamline preparation and participation in  TBT & SPS Committees' meetings and make 
appropriate recommendations to relevant  bodies for necessary action and support; 
(d) Follow recommendations with relevant  bodies and stakeholders;  and 
(e) Streamline the implementation of notification requirements of the TBT and SPS Agreements. 
 
Membership of National TBT/SPS Coordination Committee 
(a) Uganda National Bureau of Standards (Secretariat and Chair) 
(b) Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry 
(c) Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries 
(d) Horticulture Exporter Association 
(e) The Uganda National Apicultu re Development Organisation 
(f) Uganda Coffee Development Authority 
(g) Uganda Coffee Trade Federation 
(h) National Environment Management Authority 
(i) Uganda Flower Exporters Association 
(j) Uganda National Farmers Federation 
(k) Uganda Export Promotion Board 
(l) Ministry of Health 
(m) Uganda Fish Processors and Expo rters Association (Vice Chair) 
(n) Private Sector Foundation Uganda 
(o) Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(p) Uganda Beef Producers Association 
(q) Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development 
(r) Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
(s) Uganda Manufacturers Association 
(t) Uganda Fisheries and Fish Conservation Association 
(u) Uganda Investment Authority 
 
Proposed Way Forward 
2. 
Uganda, just like most African countries, is f acing great challenges in order to develop and 
implement a SPS policy that will allow participation in international trade with agricultural and 
fishery products.  This policy should define th e goals and strategies of the national SPS system, 
including the ways in which the government intends  to exercise authority and control over the private 
sector in the SPS area.  G/SPS/GEN/673 
 Page 3 
 
 
  3. The SPS policy should be based on risk analys is and the food chain approach.  These 
principles are now being implemented in industrial  countries and will be a requirement for imports, 
but are still new to Uganda and other African count ries.  All three SPS sect ors (food safety, animal 
and plant health) are integrated and measures are based on risk analysis. 
4. A more effective enforcement system is need ed, comprising one central SPS authority with 
the overall responsibility for all technical activ ities and with one coordinated set of local 
inspectorates, both of them with coordinated labor atory and scientific support.  The inspectorates 
should be responsible for all enforcement activ ities related to production and distribution. 
5. Three stakeholder groups are important in SPS issues.  Politicians are responsible for 
establishing the SPS policy and developing efficient orga nisations.  The private sector is responsible 
for establishing and maintaining internal control syst ems in line with the food chain approach, usually 
in the form of HACCP systems.  Consumers have  a right to know and should participate in the 
process of determining acceptable risk levels.   
6. Uganda should strengthen the e nquiry points in order to: 
(1) notify WTO of new regulations and conformity assessment procedures, 
including drafts;  and 
(2) provide information to interested par ties about all regulations, standards and 
conformity assessment procedures. 
 
FOOD SAFETY IN UGANDA 
Outline of the food control/food safety system in general 
7. At present, activities in food safety and control in the country are uncoordinated and scattered 
in different Government Ministries, and are being implemented by different agencies and authorities.  
The mandates for these agencies and Authorities are s tipulated or provided for under different laws 
and regulations.  For example, the Ministry of H ealth, which is the custodian of the main food 
legislation, has two agencies;  namely Departme nt of Environmental Health and National Drugs 
Authority (NDA).  Department of Environmenta l Health co-ordinates food safety matters and 
supervises (on training and policy matters) the ac tivities of semi autonomous local government units 
(Districts, Town Councils, Municipalities and a City ) who employ Health and Food Inspectors.  
NDA controls the use and sale of drugs (medical and veterinary) and importation of food supplements.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Anim al Industry and Fisheries Resources has five 
departments and two authorities (UCDA & DDA) whose activities range from control of seeds, 
phytosanitary matters, agricultural chemicals, animal  health, imports and expor ts of animal products, 
production and marketing of food products.  The Department of Crop Protection is the National 
Enquiry Point of the SPS Agreement.  Under the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry there is one department and two Authorities, namely the Directorate of External Trade (DET), the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and the Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB), 
respectively.  DET handles WTO matters such as no tifications under the SPS and TBT Agreements.   
8. On the other hand, UNBS is an apex body char ged with standardiza tion and implementation 
of standards in trade and industry, import food in spection, and is a national enquiry point under the 
TBT Agreement and a Codex Contact Point.  UEPB  promotes exportation of food and other products 
and issues certificates of origin where Uganda has preferential trade treatments, e.g. European 
Communities and COMESA regions.  There are other Ministries whose agencies control among 
others, water, environment and ra dioactive contamination.  The lo cal government units, which include 
Districts, Town Councils and Municipalities, have public health department s which carry out food G/SPS/GEN/673 
Page 4  
 
  inspections in food eating places, licensing food premises, meat inspections in abattoirs.  This chain of 
inspectors is mainly diploma holders trained at  the National School of Hygiene.  The local 
government units also have production units, which carry out extension and food control services in agricultural food production and veterinary services.  At this level degree holders such as Veterinary 
Surgeons and Agriculture Officers are employed up to  the lowest unit of the District such as a sub-
county. 
Overview on Legislation 
9. The Food and Drug Act of 1964 is still in fo rce. However the National Drugs Authority 
transformed the component on drugs into the Drugs Act, 1993.  This left the food component hanging.  
This therefore calls for a national food sa fety law that is modern and unified. 
10. The current Food Act does not address the new technological developments in the food 
industry, e.g. safety of genetically modified foods , international food regulations as required by the 
World Trade Organisation (WTO), or by the European Communities and other international food markets.  For example, for food additives and contaminants, packaging and other sanitary and phytosanitary requirements are not covered in the current Food Act. 
General constraints and gaps in food control systems 
11. The current food control and safety system is severely hampered by obsolete food laws and 
the lack of resources required for building a s ound food safety control infrastructure, including an 
adequate force, laboratory facilities, and necessary scientific expertise and research. 
12. In most cases, the above agencies have provisions under the legislation establishing them for 
creation of technical committees and working grou ps cutting across all concerned sectors for purposes 
of co-ordination and communication on matters of f ood control.  This type of co-ordination is not 
effective due to lack of resources. 
13. Food borne illness is recognised to be a signifi cant public health problem in Uganda.  Much 
of the burden of illness results from failures in basic food chain hygiene that occurs in food 
production, processing, storage, transportati on, retailing, and handling in the home. 
14. Achieving basic food hygiene is made diffi cult by the lack of necessary sanitation 
infrastructure in many areas of the country and segments of the food system. 
Codex participation 
15. UNBS participates in the Codex Coordinating Committee for the African Region and is a 
National Codex Contact Point.  UNBS would like to participate in all committees of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (CAC). 
National Codex Committee 
16. The National Codex Committee (NCC) for Uga nda was inaugurated in June 2002 during a 
FAO Workshop on responsibilities and functions of a NCC.  The objective of setting this committee 
was to create an effective mechanism for cons idering the government's national food control 
requirements in relation to the work of Code x Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Food Standards 
Program. 
17. The function of the NCC is to consider and discuss technical issues on the food standard 
program such as product specifications, safety issu es, etc.  NCC therefor e advises the central 
government on the application of various food standa rdization and food safety matters arising out of 
the work of the Codex Alimenterius Commission.   G/SPS/GEN/673 
 Page 5 
 
 
  The Terms of Reference for National Codex Committee are as follows: 
(i) Shall be the organ to advise government on all matters of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission. 
(ii) In order to discharge its duties efficiently,  the Committee shall appoint Sub- Committees to 
assist in deliberating on technical and relate d issues arising from the activities of Codex. 
(iii) Contribute when necessary to the development of  the provisional agenda for holding Codex 
sessions as provided by Rule V.3 of the Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual. 
(iv) Recommends to Government the delegat es to represent Uganda at Codex sessions. 
(v) Advises Government Ministries, the food indus try, consumer groups , importers/exporters, 
scientific bodies, non-governmental organisations  and individuals having interest in Codex 
work, on the activities of Codex and related issues, which are of interest to these bodies. 
(vi) Monitors and co-ordinates the activities of Codex in the country. 
(vii) Arranges for funding of Codex work by the Government and other donors. 
(viii) Represents the views of Government on all asp ects of the work of the Commission e.g. 
responds to Codex Circular Le tters and requests for information, considers draft Codex 
standards and provides comments, advises on the fo rm of acceptance of Codex standards etc. 
(ix) Sensitize consumers on the work of Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
(x) Collects information and may initiate resear ch work to provide information for the 
elaboration of Codex standards. 
(xi) Defines problems and needs of Uganda con cerning food standards and food control. 
(xii) Promotes contacts within the Regional Code x Committee and the Commission for mutual 
exchange of information on proposed regulat ory initiatives and problems arising from food 
control and stimulates the strengthening of the food control infrastructure. 
(xiii) Proposes work projects to the National Tec hnical Committee on Food and Agriculture for 
elaboration of national and re gional standards for products/commodities moving exclusively 
in the international trade. 
(xiv) Draws attention of the Commission to any aspects of  its work that is of particular significance 
to Uganda. 
(xv) Promotes co-ordination of national, regi onal and international food standards work 
undertaken by international, Governmental and non-governmental organizations within 
Uganda. 
(xvi) Promotes acceptance of Code x final texts in Uganda. 
(xvii)  Monitors the National Food Control System.  
 
18. The composition of NCC is multsectoral in nature and is composed of the following 
representations:  
(1) Director Health Services Ministry of Health (Chairman) 
(2) Representative of Director of Animal Resources, MAAIF 
(3) Representative of Director of Crop Resources 
(4) Department of Food Science and Techno logy, Makerere University Kampala 
(MUK) G/SPS/GEN/673 
Page 6  
 
  (5) Department of Veterinary Public H ealth and Preventive Medicine, MUK 
(6) Institute of Public Health, MUK 
(7) Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry 
(8) Ministry of Internal Affairs (Government Chemist) 
(9) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology 
(10) National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) (Vice Chairman) 
(11) Uganda Manufactures Association (UMA) 
(12) Uganda Consumers Association (UCPA) 
(13) Uganda Consumer Education Trust (CONSENT) 
(14) Uganda National Bureau of Standards (Secretariat) 
 
PLANT HEALTH IN UGANDA 
Outline of Plant Health/Plant Protection  
19. The Department of Crop Protection has a miss ion of supporting the country's efforts to 
transform subsistence agriculture to commercial ag riculture by ensuring that pests and diseases of 
plants are controlled in a sustainable manner while c onserving the environment.  The Department is in 
the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and is headed by a 
Commissioner. 
20. The Commissioner, Crop Protection, has a mandate  of carrying out regulatory measures in the 
crop sector and to control a number of notifiable cr op epidemics.  The functions of controlling pests 
and diseases are a central function since pest and disease outbreaks respect no known geographical 
boundaries. 
21. The Commissioner, Crop Protection, leads a team of highly specialised scientists with a vast 
of experience in pest and disease management.  Pest and disease surveillance, pest and disease 
identification and management are carried out in one division while, regulation of plant imports and 
exports, control of seed quality and agricultural chemicals is in the other division. 
22. In the Ugandan subsistence agriculture, no mech anisation is used to put more land into 
cultivation, farm saved seed is planted, and pos t harvest handling is poor.  Therefore, pests and 
diseases are not effectively managed, the extension services are minimal and therefore Uganda needs heavy investment in terms of time and finance to  modernize its agriculture.  Uganda, being a land-
locked country, the borders are porous to any pest or disease from the neighbouring countries of Sudan, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.  Howeve r, the climate is very conducive for agriculture 
and Uganda enjoys a two-season rainfa ll pattern per year and the majority of tropical and subtropical 
crops can do well in the country. 
23. Uganda enjoys a subsistence economy and is putting in place a mechanism to transform that 
type of economy to a commercial one. 
Legislation 
24. The Crop Protection Department im plements three legislations: 
(a) The Plant Protection and Health Act (2003)  G/SPS/GEN/673 
 Page 7 
 
 
  (b) The Seed and Plant Statute (2003) 
(c) The Control of Agricultural Chemicals Statute (2003). 
 
25. The Plant Protection and Health Act has just been reviewed and harmonized with 
IPPC standards.  The Seed and Plant Statute wa s reviewed to take into account the OECD and 
ISTA standard procedures and the control of agricult ural chemicals was reviewed to include standard 
procedures for safe use and testing for efficacy.  Markets also require that pesticide residues be 
monitored in fruits and vegetables brought to the markets. 
ANIMAL HEALTH AND ZOONOSES IN UGANDA 
Department of Livestock Health and Entomology 
26. This Central Government Department is respons ible for Animal Health Services, which also 
include the control of zoonoses (public health rela ted diseases and food safety) in Uganda. It's aims 
are to: 
(a) Investigate and control animal diseases, zoonoses (disease communicable from animals and 
animal products to man, i.e. of public health importance); 
(b) Control vectors and pests of animal concern; 
(c) Promote animal health and animal welfare;  and 
(d) Promote apiculture and sericulture development. 
 
27. The Department is mandated to perform the following functions in livestock health and 
entomology: 
(a) Makes national policies, plans and budgets; 
(b) Formulate, review and enforce the standards; 
(c) Formulate laws, regulations and enforce them; 
(d) Control epidemic animal diseases;  and 
(e) Give technical back-stopping, support, supervi se, co-ordinate and train the local government 
veterinary personnel in the relevant animal health and food safety fields. 
 28. The Department in food safety deals with the inspection and certification of meat, animal 
products for local, export and import purposes.  
29. The Department of Animal Production and Marketing  deals with the policies, planning, 
budgeting, regulations and standards in animal produc tion and marketing.  The Department deals with 
infrastructure related to food safety.  This func tion is expected to be transferred soon to the 
Department of Livestock Health and Entomology in an  expected restructuring.  This will help to avoid 
duplication/overlaps.  
30. The following animal-related functions have been divested to th e National Agricultural 
Research Organisation (NARO) under the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries 
(MAAIF):  the research identification, research  development / generation and dissemination of 
technologies in animal health and animal production. G/SPS/GEN/673 
Page 8  
 
  31. The local governments under the decentralisati on policy and the Local Government Statute 
1997 are mandated to implement the following functions in the animal sub-sector: 
(a) Animal husbandry / extension services. These are advisory services that are co-ordinated by 
MAAIF's National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS); 
(b) Entomological services and vermin control; 
(c) Designing of development plans;  and 
(d) Licensing of produce buying (including animals and animal products trading). 
 
32. The central government veterinary services based in MAAIF is making arrangements to 
formally delegate some aspects of animal disease control, regulatory and standards enforcement in 
animal health and food safety.  There will be n eed to build the technical capacity of the local 
governments in this respect. 
__________