UCIFA Day Enhances Professionalism

Although delayed for 2 hours, the highly anticipated UCIFA Day at Entebbe’s Golf View Inn was a major success. With the theme “Enhancing Professionalism in the Clearing and Forwarding Industry”, the participants shared very valuable ideas that can transform the association greatly in the next few years when followed as advised by the main speaker.
The first speaker was the UCIFA Entebbe Chairman who said, “At Entebbe International Airport, we are faced with the problem of high evaluation…The perception of URA to the agents has improved but there is the issue of junior officers. If you are an agent of MTN for example, you are branded and respected as a member of MTN. But when it comes to URA, in most cases we are not recognized as so. There is a big hang up when it comes to manifestation for the 283 clearing companies…The major problem I would highlight is professionalising our institution. If we come together, we would be able to resolve conflicts and give ourselves a good image…We found it good to hold this seminar to find solutions to the problems I’ve tried to highlight. We are all in business to keep ahead of failure and make money…”
After the first speech, an unprecedented skit was dramatized in Luganda in front of the gathering (a bit of what agents go through daily) whereby two men pretending to connect by phone acted like they were doing business. The actor playing the role of a stubborn businessman held a mobile near his ear, and told an agent named Siraj (holding the microphone) what he wanted. In order to import goods, Siraj informed him of the procedure required; he had to declare his TIN number. Instead, the businessman mentioned his Box Number like an ignorant importer amusing the audience. The agent next asked for the Invoice, Shipping Bill and Money. The importer told him to ‘yiya’ (Luganda for ‘be subtle’). He wanted Siraj to go to the customs agents and see what he could do even if illegally…The agent proceeded to Customs but he could not be allowed to go ahead with clearing the goods without proper documentation. This clearly highlighted how agents are faced with ethical issues provoked by their clients. After telling him about the impossibility of his sinister plan, the displeased businessman complained that the agent had earlier asked for damages and was now asking for handling and other costs.

Below is a short poem recited by one of the beautiful UCIFA ladies in the khaki (cream) T-Shirts:

The Agent, the Teacher, the Farmer
Looking forward for fair treatment
The present is tough
Future is bleak
Yet services are essential
For nation betterment;

The agent, the tax collector
Not recognized as so
Blamed by customs,
Blamed by the tax payer
Rebuked for unprofessionalism
Yet can’t be done by all!

Trying so hard to beat time,
Squeezed at all ends
To satisfy the many parties involved
The journey is bumpy
Therein lies the haughty
Nagging, ungrateful individual in society

Oh Agent! If the situation were different
Treatment fairer
Services more appreciated
More taxes you would collect
For national development

Fellow nationals!
Join hands we should
To nurture the service industry,
The goose that lays the golden eggs


Lecturing on the topic “Leveraging Partnership: Keeping Ahead of Failure”, the main speaker Mr. Peter Kimbowa began by saying, “If you do not plan for the future, the future has a plan for you. How many clearing firms have survived 30 years, 40 years, and 80 years in Uganda? There is none; so we need to be together. Do you have a plan? Don’t assume that the bridge is there. We are faced with risks of business collapse. You could die now and live nothing for those behind. You may even get an accident and become disabled. You may live long but with nothing to feed on. Let’s not focus on our children taking care of us.

“In an association like this, you only need five committed people. Few people bring light, too many people bring emotions. Let’s build our internal team care. There is no way UCIFA will build a strong force without strengthening itself internally. Care means connecting within ourselves, we are there as a team. Next we need to assess the challenges we have as an association…Respond and take action…finally excel, do better than we were doing last year.

“What’s your relationship with financial agencies and importers? A guy had two donkeys and put two bundles of hay for them to feed. They fought until their ropes got interlocked. The donkeys killed each other. It’s very important to build a code of conduct or order. I am willing to build one for you.” Mr. Kimbowa pledged amid applause from the clearing agents gathered, “URA wants to see some blood flowing. Partnership is built on attitude. Don’t take primitive action, step forward and be recognized. Let us reimagine the partnership; rethink!

“Create your own brand respected by banks, clearing agencies and importers…They shouldn’t see you as riff ruffs, lampoons. Focus on what you are going to do in 6 to 12 months…Each one of us knows something and when we contribute it, it will help. We are small in our own ways. Stakeholders should know that we are together. When stakeholders see us acting right, they will come with respect. What are our plans? We are going to design a code. Every one will sign…People will be punished and others rewarded.
Working with others (Emotional Intelligence, E.I. model):
“For us to succeed in business, we need relationships…Relationships are based on two things: self awareness and self control. Let us look at the strong points in our association knowing very well that we have weaknesses. To build relationships, God put a brain in our heads to make decisions and cooperate with others. For example, since some of you came late, your thoughts will make you feel guilty so you won’t do anything…All this works in the head. When URA sees that you are not together, people back-biting each other; so they despise you. This is supposed to be your motivation. Importers will feel motivated to deal with you. People feel, think and get energy…Check with your friends in Nairobi and South Africa…Use that clout of coming together to build teams. Work out yourselves as a group and create a magnet. With a code, you lay a foundation or root for your growth especially when things are so tough. UCIFA Branch Entebbe is different. Is a UCIFA member the same as a fisherman or riff ruff in Kampala? What we need in our code of conduct are values, habits and practices. Let’s build on what we have done. You even started with a prayer in this age when witchcraft is merging with biblical beliefs…”


“Disempowering beliefs will push us away: We need respect from banks, importers and URA. What is your new philosophy? What measures are you taking, what are the action lines and internal policies?”

Peter recommended roots such as trust, respect, professionalism, integrity, transparency to help UCIFA continuously renew itself.

“There are four main segments of money. Are you enjoying, earning, managing or affording your business yet you love women and alcohol a lot? Can you sacrifice for other people? How can you say you want to retire at 40 yet the richest man in the world is still working even in his middle ages? The word ‘capital’ comes from the Latin word ‘capitalis’ which means brain, so when you complain that there is no capital, you actually mean there is no brain in your head…What benefits are you getting from UCIFA? Are you being exempted from other collateral? Do you get longer payment periods and no liabilities?
10 % for God, 10 % back to your business, 10 % must follow another investment line, 10% is Children’s money (Children are not an arrangement between you and God). They won’t look after you but you have to stay there and keep there, 60% remains. The oldest business in Uganda is about 40 years but in India over 100 years old. The capacity to generate income from personal initiatives is financial stability…Don’t leave this place without answering this question: What about you? Banks will be there, importers will be there after 35 years. What about you? Will your company be existent in 5 years time?

If Jesus Christ had come to preach the Gospel of Heaven and did not leave behind disciples, there would be no religions…so tell other people about what was discussed here.”

“To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.” –BENJAMIN DISRAELI
The guest of honour, URA’s Assistant Commissioner dressed in a casual white shirt, gave his speech before the prize giving ceremony …He expressed Patrick Malinga’s gratitude. URA desires such groups that are organised.
“Don’t lose hope. We are always in a growing environment, a learning environment. As we are moving into that direction which PK (Peter Kimbowa) has discussed, people are also conscious of the quality we are rendering. We don’t want to work with people who will dent our image. I want to redefine integrity by quoting experts. Doug Welsh and his wife wrote that “Integrity is just a game. If you don’t have it in your bones, you shouldn’t be allowed in the team.”
In the book ‘Leadership at Work’, integrity and honesty are virtues. “Integrity is correspondence between word and deed, Honesty is truthful and non deceitful…” The word professional does not refer to qualifications but your effectiveness. If people perceive you differently, then you lose the identity you should possess. Everything is possible, graduate yourself to the level that PK was trying to link you to, where you do not cheat importers. It is a shared and collective responsibility. The challenge is that if you can grasp what has been shared today, then we can work collectively…”Partner through networks: as you concretize yourself on a national point of view, you need to extend beyond the region to the continent. Become part of a chain, get from the source, not only yourselves but think globally to sustain your businesses. The guest of honour alongside Omar Kassim, UCIFA’s National Chairman unveiled the new UCIFA Slogan “Bridging the Gap of Tax Collection”.
Prizes in form of T-Shirts, trophies and packages were also awarded to the Best Driver, Best Airlines (Emirates), Best Courier Company (ENHAS), Best Clearing Agent (Popular among the audience) alongside other recipients


Main Speaker Kimbowa’s ANECDOTES:
A professor once stood on a platform and told the audience that God does not exist. ‘If he pushes me off this platform, I will believe that he exists.”
A bouncer walked up, beat him up and pushed him away, “Why are you doing this, are you crazy?” the professor asked.
“No, God was busy, so he sent me here.” the bouncer replied.

Another ANECDOTE by PK:
A moneylender offered a loan to one man while eyeing the guy’s daughter. So when the man took long to pay, the money lender suggested a gentlemanly solution whereby the debtor would allow his daughter to pull out a white or black stone from a bag during a public gathering. If she picked a black stone, she would marry the moneylender, but if it was white, she would stay with her father. When people assembled, the money lender cleverly picked 2 black stones and thought nobody noticed. The man’s daughter was not only exceptionally beautiful but also very intelligent. She pretended to pick one of the stones but shivered and fell to the ground as if struck by a sudden fever. When asked which stone she had picked, she said it had fallen among the many on the ground. A wise man in the audience said that in order to determine which stone had been picked; they had to look at the one remaining in the bag.

Omar Kassim, who came in close to the end of the seminar, was the last person to give a speech, “Please forgive me for I do not write down my speeches; I speak from my heart… When you have an interest in your institution, it will trickle down to your members. In Kampala, we have people who do not want to associate. Entebbe is well organised but in Kampala, it impairs the image of the association. The boda bodas have a strong association where they solicit licenses for the boda bodas. They even have IDs. This seminar is an opportunistic measure that has a workable outcome…Let’s share a common vision, and a mission to reach the same goals. Help us to root out some of those feelings we have tackled. In terms of UCIFA, Entebbe has always set the pace. (Other branches include Kampala, Jinja and the new ones in Busia-Malaba) Give us encouragement and allow us to improve on our systems…The future of this industry is prompt…Achieving our targets is the way to the future.”

The Master of Ceremony added his voice to the proceedings by saying, “Entebbe Airport is a unique point …if you work for URA without being posted to Entebbe, your chances of promotion are minimal…We not only collect taxes but train you.”

After the seminar, food was served and later, a UCIFA plus URA procession propelled by a percussion band marched through Entebbe Town up to the Victoria Montessori School pitch where the men’s soccer and women’s netball finals were going to be held between the two corporates.

URA vs. UCIFA
In the first half, URA’s goalkeeper (Captain), dressed in an orange shirt and yellow track suit, was very animated and efficient, actually my Man of the Half because of the entertainment he produced. He took centre stage by saving the money collectors from thorough UCIFA onslaughts in the first few minutes. It looked like one way traffic for some time but URA got revived and also launched attacks on their opponent’s goal…almost breaking the deadlock on one occasion only for the striker to thump the ball high over the UCIFA crossbar yet he had only the keeper to beat. Ball possession was relatively shared though the ball came back to URA’s half many times. All the players wore white shorts, but URA had white shirts while UCIFA had red tops with white sleeves.
After half time, URA’s goalkeeper stripped and dressed in black shorts plus a white URA shirt (Number 12) as a field player. He remained the captain though and amused the spectators with his dribbles plus committed goal attempts. Unfortunately, after a number of tactical changes, UCIFA’s unrelenting pursuit for a goal finally paid off when a long ball from the centre half found a striker who cut inside to his right past a defender and fired low to the left half of the URA goal. The money collectors tried hard to fight back but the clearing agents cleared the attempts away…and clinched the cup. Final Score: UCIFA 1, URA 0.

The soccer and netball games ended around 5pm and the gathering dispersed, some returning to Kampala by taxi, personal vehicles or company vans. UCIFA had its evening dance at the Club Knight Rider on Movement Road.