Tom Magumba
11 October 2008
Kampala — The highway to Nsambya, a Kampala surbub is famed for its road side furniture outlets but makers of rustic furniture say lack of capital has hampered the growth of their business.
Rustic furniture is made from "unpolished" wood and reeds.
Artisans say that the nature of their business does not attract funding from financial institutions and want they help for their business.
Mr. Ambrose Gidudu a seasoned artisan said many people are turning to their products now because scarcity of timber has pushed up prices for wood furniture.
A decent sofa set of rustic furniture in Nsambya goes for Shs450,000, and Shs600,000 for a bookshelf and a bed made out of reeds. Gidudu said because making such furniture demands a lot of attention it justifies the price difference.
"We are also targeting the middle and upper class but we lack capital and room to operate" he said in an interview last week.
He said they want loans to establish themselves as rustic furniture makers. Mr Micheal Kutosi another dealer said previously, rustic furniture was previously mostly bought by owners of coffee shops, lodges in national parks and bars but it is now finding its way into people's homes, gardens and hotels.
"We are getting good deals from hoteliers and home owners. If someone can invest in us the prospects are high" he said.
The furniture is understood to be eco-friendly because it is mainly made out of recycled wood.
Finance Minister Ezra Suruma indicated in his budget speech this year that industrialisation is truly essential to raise labour productivity, add value to products, earn higher export revenues and create employment.
He pledged that the government would in financial Year develop an industrial park in each of the four regions to provide investors with room to work in industrial parks.
Up to Shs16 billion has been earmarked for the construction of these regional industrial parks that could also accommodate rustic furniture makers.
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