Chinese firm completes construction of Uganda's tourism, hospitality training institute

JINJA, Uganda -- CRJE (East Africa) Limited, a Chinese company, has completed the construction of a state-owned hotel and tourism training institute in Uganda's eastern city of Jinja, as the East African country seeks to boost tourism revenues through a skilled workforce.

Moses Kaneene, deputy principal of the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute, told Xinhua in an interview on Friday that the contractor has built a state-of-the-art complex that includes an administration block, classrooms, and a multipurpose hall.

He said the complex has been equipped with the necessary facilities, including two computer laboratories, demonstration rooms, and a kitchen.

"There is no way we would produce highly skilled manpower without modern equipment. When a modern institute comes, we shall be able to produce the highly skilled manpower required by the tourism industry." Kaneene said.

Unlike before, when only 400 students were trained with limited equipment, the institute now has the capacity to train more than 1,000 students, he said.

Allan Akatwijuka, the institute's property manager, described the quality of the contractor's work as "good".

"In terms of standards, when you have a walk around, you can see an esthetically appealing project," he said, adding that the contractor is supporting the local market, including subcontracting with local companies.

Liu Qiang, general manager of CRJE (East Africa) Limited, noted that over 300 locals worked on the project during the construction phase, which lasted a year until November last year. He said the locals, who have now been transferred to other projects, had acquired various skills during the various stages of construction.

According to Uganda's Ministry of Finance, tourism is one of the country's main sources of foreign revenue, contributing 7.7 percent of gross domestic product. The government is optimistic that having a skilled workforce in the hospitality industry would further boost tourism revenues.