Project RUSH: Request for proposal from IT specialists/software developers for the development of Uganda’s SPS inspection process digital solution 

In July 2021, the Alliance began implementing a 21-month project supporting the country to improve the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) inspection processes for horticulture exports mainly focusing on fruits and vegetables. The project is implemented by the Alliance in Uganda, in cooperation with Swisscontact and in partnership with Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) as well as different Umbrella private sector Associations. The project’s overarching goal is to increase efficiencies and reduce the cost and time to export by reengineering the inspection process and improving the capacity of the horticulture sector stakeholders, both public and private to manage the process more efficiently.

The current SPS inspection process is largely manual. All documentation required to comply with inspection requirements and to review SPS compliance, with the exception of the ePhyto certificate are manual and paper-based. This creates challenges including: the inability of the regulatory body (MAAIF) to store and review inspection records, delays in inspection due to detailed paper requirements and documentation and, lack of efficient data analysis and therefore, data-based decision-making. The SPS inspection process, in its current form, can therefore be improved. The introduction of a focused digital solution is envisaged to provide various benefits that include: creating efficiencies in the process, real-time information sharing and data collection, providing critical analysis for the regulator and exporters to make valuable decisions and improving confidence in Uganda’s SPS inspection regime and processes.

The current procurement process aims at identifying an IT company competent to support one of the project’s objectives: “Pursuit of more digitalization of the SPS inspection processes and introduction of risk-based SPS inspections” by deploying an SPS inspection digital solution at packing facilities and the airport.