The Project for a National Post Code and Addressing System has kicked off with a pilot project starting in Entebbe.

Uganda ICT minister Aggrey Awori

The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Aggrey Awori says the project will be implemented with other stakeholders in this sector that include, the Ministry of Local Governments, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Uganda Postal Union, Uganda National Bureau of Statistics and Uganda Post Ltd.

Awori says the objective of this project is to promote adoption of physical addresses by government, businesses and service providers in the country and will be utilized by the central and local government to synchronize data of citizens or residents with agencies such as the Post Office and courier operators.

The Project which commenced on 1st July 2010 at the beginning of this financial year will run in Entebbe Municipality for the first year and will spread out to other parts of the country in a phased manner using the lessons leant in the pilot scheme to implement it excellently in other parts of the country.

The project will take seven years to be completed. Though addresses are an essential tool for economic and social development, in Uganda the majority of the people do not have an easily recognizable physical address.

By Tiberindwa Zakaria, Ultimate Media