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Reciprocity: The trade negotiator’s game changer
Elizabeth R. Auma K Reciprocity The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country to another. Last week, we reflected on sovereignty: the right and responsibility of a nation to protect its interests, borders, and people. However, sovereignty, on its own, does not sustain relationships between nations. This…
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The power of precedent
By Elizabeth R. Auma K “Chairperson, in 2015, we were in a similar situation and passed the decision to which I make reference. It is only necessary that we do the same.” Such a statement is common during Policy discussions among Countries. At the close of 2025, I participated in a regional meeting that placed…
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Balancing Trade and Taxes: A Policy Dilemma
Elizabeth R.Auma. K Every time I find myself talking trade policy, instinctively I will always have a line like, ‘…..Government is committed to ensuring a conducive environment for trade’. This statement to the ears of the traders is exciting and reassuring. Yet the same government is committed to collecting taxes from the same traders. It…
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Negotiating Fair Terms: Insights for Life and Career
By Elizabeth R. Auma K. I recently represented my country in a regional meeting of twenty-one member states, deliberating on trade matters and how best we could become a region of excellence. There is always something extraordinary about sitting across the table from seasoned experts and negotiators, men and women armed with history, expertise and…
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Letter to a young trader
Dear young trader, I have been reading through several of your documents. I admire your determination to step into regional and global markets. I observed from your write up that you took time to study and appreciate the available open markets. Your zeal ignites a desire in me to keep learning. It drives me to…
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The quiet power of trade policy
By Elizabeth R. Auma K; A Heartbeat in Every Policy As I walked through Kalerwe market recently, a young lad crossed my path carrying a burden too heavy for his age. He was hawking ‘nsenene’, Uganda’s beloved seasonal delicacy of grasshoppers. With the end-of-year rains, this God-sent treat appears almost mysteriously, and then it disappears…
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Five common mistakes we make in Trade policy development
By Elizabeth R. Auma K, A Heartbeat in Every Policy My very first encounter with Trade Policy development was during the review of the Cooperative Society Act 1991. It was a deep analysis class. Subsequent encounters with policy development offered deep insight. These include Trade in Services, the Competition and Consumer Protection 2014, the National…
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Lessons Learned from Uganda’s Competition Law Journey
Trade policy is not an event. It is a journey of ideas, people, and persistence. Over the past fifteen years, I have had the privilege of witnessing Uganda’s trade policy landscape evolve. The landscape was shaped by men and women who sat where I sit. Among these milestones, the Competition Law, 2023 stands out to…
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Mama Sarah: The Real Face of Trade Policy
As I walked home one evening, I glanced at the woman selling tomatoes by the roadside. At first thought, one might conclude that Mama (Mummy) Sarah who runs a small tomato stall in the market knows little about trade policy. Perhaps she doesn’t. At least not in the way the trade analysts frame it with…
A heartbeat in every policy
Hearts & Trade 