The majority of SMEs in Uganda operate in the informal economy, jobs and business activities are not registered or protected by the state. The enterprises don’t exist on any business or tax register; they don’t enjoy any social benefits, and often have no titled or registered assets.

The various players in the SME eco-system operate in silos with little or no effective coordination; no mechanisms of capturing, analysing and disseminating information. This presents an enormous challenge to any interventions that are aimed at addressing the tax burden, unemployment, inequality, and regulatory framework that promotes the growth of small and medium businesses.