Kampala — Ireland will train selected business companies in Uganda in technical skills and business development expertise, Trade State Minister Eng. Wilson Gaggawala Wambuzi has said.

An Irish company, Traidlinks supported by Irish Aid, will select 12 companies to participate in the initial phase of the project code named MarketLinked.

Irish Aid is the Irish government's official development assistance programme.

Gaggawala launched the project at the Media Centre on Thursday and said the initiative was part of the Government's poverty eradication programme.

Traidlinks Country manager-Uganda, Paul Jennings, said the project concept aims at transferring skills to private Uganda companies by combining formal training and hands on export market development support.

Flanked by Traidlinks Export development programme manager Robert Moodie, Executive Director Uganda Export Promotion Board Florence Kata and Private sector representative Patrick Bitature, Jennings said, "The project is to assist business development and competitive enhancement in the foods and beverages sector.

"It will be specifically oriented towards identifying and exploiting market opportunities in Kenya and later other regional markets will follow.

It also involves identifying and providing routes to local, regional and international markets and focussing on sustainable transfer of skills and knowledge to provide practical support," he said.

Kata said the programme will take place between February and June 2009. The selection process begins with company interviews this month and the first workshop will be in March.