UPPC Strategic Plan kick starts its Grand Corporate ambition

On September 14, 2023, the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) launched its five-year strategic plan, opening a new page of effective and efficient service at the government printer.
According to the corporation’s BOD Chairperson, Mr. Joachim Buwembo, the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan launched under the theme “Enhancing Value Through Improved Corporate Governance, Customer Excellence and Efficient Business Processes” will sustain UPPC on the path of viable growth through enforcing direction and accountability among all employees.
“This strategic plan will be the Koran, Bible, Constitution and Ten Commandments against which we shall all be judged; right from the Board to the staff,” he said. He added that by outlining UPPC’s strategic vision and objectives, the plan will unlock the corporation’s full potential, hence enabling the fulfillment of its mission to provide quality, secure printing and publishing services to government and other stakeholders in an efficient manner.

Cure for Maladministration Malaise
In her own assessment, Presidency Minister Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda hailed the strategic plan as the medicine that will address UPPC’s hitherto administrative challenges.
“The strategic plan is not just a roadmap; it is a dynamic vision of national, regional and international printing and publishing business that is rooted in Uganda’s Vision 2040, the National Development Plan III and the NRM Manifesto. I implore the management and Board of UPPC to desist from implementing things and making decisions that are not guided by this plan,” Babalanda said.
UPPC recovery now complete
Representing Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Secretary Office of the President, Dr. Dan Sekiboobo, the Presidential Advisor on Research, noted that the new strategic plan symbolizes UPPC’s recovery path in terms of corporate governance.
He challenged the new leadership to stick to it to guide whatever they do for the good of the public printer.
“Stick to this strategic plan to direct all your operations as you have planned them. Don’t decide, spend, think or even evaluate your success outside this plan. The presidency will supervise, audit and hold you accountable against this plan,” he said. He challenged the new team to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors by working together with the board to effectively implement the strategic plan.

Inside The Strategic Plan
Mr. Buwembo concurred with the minister that the new strategic plan was designed to cure UPPC’s structural weaknesses and that’s why it was tied within Uganda’s socioeconomic development agenda as enshrined in Vision 2040, the NDP III and NRM Manifesto 2021-26. Particularly, it enforces the Government Printer’s commitment to provide quality printing and publishing services to government MDAs and private customers.
To UPPC Managing Director, Prof. Sudi Nangoli, the strategic plan will support strategic management at the corporation by addressing strategic operations and other issues at its corporate level.
Nangoli added that it was guided by the corporation’s mandate as enshrined in the UPPC Act 1992 and will be anchored on corporate governance, customer service excellence and efficient business processes.
“The strategic plan is simply re-interpreting UPPC’s mandate and in so doing helps us to answer all questions pertinent to the corporation, such as who we are, what we do, among others,” Prof. Nangoli said.
He revealed that the Balance Score Card model will be used to help UPPC attain its desired targets.
Meanwhile, Rebecca Nyakairu, the Manager Public and Corporate Affairs at UPPC says that in terms of strategic perspectives, the strategic plan is anchored on key pillars which clearly highlight how the corporation will navigate the different aspects relating to its operations in terms of finance, customer service, operations and corporate governance.
For instance, on the financial perspective, the plan elaborates UPPC’s projected revenue and expenditure performances for 2023-2028, while also highlighting the corporation’s digital transformation targets in line with the National Digitization Strategy. It also highlights UPPC’s environmental protection strategy, which is hinged around adopting eco-friendly technology like the 7K HP Indigo Colour machine which will reduce wastage while attaining the highest levels of printing quality. She expressed optimism that with this strategic plan, UPPC will realize its vision to be the market leader in security printing and publishing by the end of the next five years.

Mr. Joseph Edmond Kirabo, the Production Manager UPPC, also noted that in the strategic plan are new projects which the corporation intends to embark on so as to fulfill its mandate as the chief advisor of government on matters printing. These include the revival of the printing school as well as the printing museum which will enable students and other Ugandans to trace the history of the printing business.
Kirabo explained that UPPC is well equipped with the land, antiquities to showcase, while government recently passed the museum and antiquities law to aid their operations.