Trade order operations here to stay - Ministry of Finance

The Government's trade order operations will be expanded rather than relaxed, despite concerns from some traders and business groups about their impact on livelihoods, the Ministry of Finance has announced.

Speaking on Friday, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi said government remains committed to enforcing trade order as part of wider economic reforms aimed at creating a more organised business environment.

Speaking Friday at a post-budget conference, Ggoobi said stakeholders should stop defending street vending and informal trade practices that undermine efforts to modernise Uganda's economy.

“We are introducing new economic reforms and through them, you will see a ramping up of this trade order,” Ggoobi said.

“That is why we are calling on MPs, PSFU and other stakeholders not to come to us with excuses about these vendors being poor and having no food and must be let to settle on the streets with loudspeakers.”

He argued that disorderly trade affects Uganda's ability to attract investment and compete with other economies.

“That business is not good and it is actually affecting our ability to grow and attract serious investors. We are going to inconvenience people going forward as the president has said,” he added.

Ggoobi said President Yoweri Museveni and other political leaders had already endorsed the policy and that government would not reverse course.

“It is very good that the political leadership led by H.E. the President has committed that this is the only way forward. So, we expect PSFU and others not to tell us that our people are broke, leave them on the roadside. Let us get organised,” he said.

The trade order campaign was launched in Kampala in February 2026 before being rolled out to other urban centres. Authorities say the initiative aims to remove traders from roads, pavements, drainage channels and other unauthorised spaces and relocate them to gazetted markets and designated trading areas.

The operation has also involved enforcing business licensing requirements, improving sanitation, protecting public infrastructure and reducing congestion in city centres. Officials argue that orderly trading promotes consumer protection, public safety and a better business environment.

In Kampala, the Kampala Capital City Authority says thousands of trading spaces were created in public and private markets to accommodate vendors affected by the exercise. Government has repeatedly described trade order as non-negotiable and says the gains made since the operation began must be protected.

The policy has, however, faced resistance from some traders' associations and informal vendors, who argue that relocation to markets has reduced customer traffic and affected incomes. Some business groups have called for a more gradual approach to enforcement.

Despite the criticism, Ggoobi's latest remarks suggest government intends to deepen the programme as part of its broader economic transformation agenda.