Ugandan traders in China urged to embrace new online portal for travel

The portal was unveiled on Wednesday during the official launch during which Nsababera said it is a gateway to improved cultural and economic interaction between the consulate and Ugandans.

“The portal is intended to facilitate communication between the consulate and our nationals, encourage participation in official, economic, cultural, and social events in our areas of accreditation like investment conferences, business symposiums, trade and tourism exhibitions,” she said.

Ugandan citizens, Ugandans in the Diaspora, and businessmen visiting or living in China will have access to the consulate's assistance through the portal.

“When you get into any kind of problems, if you lose your passport, we can look into the system, see that you had a copy of the passport, we have a copy of it and are able to support you.

Some people have expressed that they have got issues when they travel to china in booking hotel rooms, they were being turned away when they presented their Ugandan passports.

But if you register and you tell us your information that you’re in China for whatever reason and you get into any kind of problem, we are able to look into the system, trace you and support you,” Nsababera added.

The portal was a collaborative effort between the consulate and Stuart Ssemujju, a PhD student at South China University in Guangzhou.

She urged the Uganda business community to do thorough background checks on individuals who deal with China to support the new system. That is will ensure legitimacy and make follow-ups easy because the consulate is not concerned with verifying individuals.

When Daily Monitor contacted the chairperson of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) Mr. Thaddeus Musoke Nagenda, he said they are reviewing the portal before enlisting their people who trade in the Nine States.

“We are going to analyze and study it so that we see how we can deal with it, we can’t just rush, we have had a lot of issues when dealing with Chinese in the past, and you know we have to communicate something after analyzing with our team as KACITA. We are having engagements with the Ambassador, we are discussing a lot with her, I think when we finalize we shall write an official document,” he said.

To register for the system, one has to scan the QR code on the consulate's website and social media platforms.

“The consulate assures Ugandans that the information shared on the portal is confidential, will solely be used for the above-mentioned purposes, and will not be shared with any third parties,” she said.

China recently quelled its Covid-19 restrictions for travelers. The only requirement to enter the country is a 48-hour Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test which you only have to show to the airline instead of the embassy.