Counterfeits are indeed a serious problem that can no longer be ignored!

Counterfeits are a predicament that has put our countries in a complex dilemma as counterfeits continue to take toll of our entire social- economic development. In Uganda massive fake products have inflated our markets without any prohibition, raising both safety and health concerns throughout the country. The recent fake four hundred bags of cement impounded by Uganda Revenue Authority is a case in point.

The hazardous consequences of counterfeits are very clear and it beats my understanding that there are some people in this country who have no conscience. They go ahead and trade counterfeits in the markets knowing very well that what they are selling to the public could harm their lives.

Early this year there were rampant collapse of buildings under construction in the city, at that time we only concentrated on blaming the engineers at the building site. we did not stop to think that these buildings could have possibly collapsed because the cement used for their construction was perhaps not genuine. Uganda's treasury is also losing vast amounts of revenue to the unpaid taxes of counterfeits which usually doge taxes. This creates a very awkward situation and pushes a way the genuine products from the market, creating a catastrophic situation.


This situation encourages the genuine investors and manufacturers to forfeit investing in our country. investors are thus pushed a way from the market because they continue to incur loses and compete unfavourably with fake products which are usually sold at convincing low prices. whatever happened to the phrase that cheap things are expensive in the long run? These cheap products turnout to be ineffective for the purposes for which they are meant for and at the worse stage it can cost us our lives. We need to embrase this phrase and shun fake products but this is complex. yes, it's complex in the sense that many of us lack the sense of decernment to establish whether agiven product is fake or genuine.


Therefore even as we fight the nuisance of counterfeits whiich is eating us up like a cid consuming a person's skin, we must understand what constitutes counterfeits for various products. the commonly counterfeited products include drugs, shoes, soap and detergents although Ugandans have added construction products like cement. So my appeal to Ugandans is that they should be sober and observant when purchasing products. And they should also report people selling counterfeits to authorities because the fight against counterfeits needs a combine effort.

Counterfeits are indeed a serious problem that can no longer be ignored or allowed to continune any more. It must be put to an end immediately if we are to curb economic loss in our country.