The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has rolled out the third phase of its Mass Business Registration Initiative, setting an ambitious target to formalize over 235,000 new enterprises across the country in the 2025/26 financial year.
According to Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho, the initiative is more than a numbers exercise, it is a deliberate effort to empower entrepreneurs, expand Uganda’s tax base, and strengthen the foundations of the national economy through formalization.
The campaign, launched in September 2023, has seen steady progress in its first two years. In 2023/24 (Year 1), URSB registered just over 3,100 businesses, generating UGX 609 million in non-tax revenue, in 2024/25 (Year 2), registrations more than doubled to 6,856, with collections climbing to UGX 3.89 billion.
This year, URSB is aiming much higher: 96,991 companies and 137,906 business names are expected to be added to the formal sector, with projections to raise UGX 24.65 billion in revenue.
The bureau has mapped out an intensive program to achieve this scale. Plans include Registration blitzes across Kampala, Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara and over 20 other districts, Mobile business clinics, where entrepreneurs can access on-the-spot registration services and follow-up support, Community engagement drives, backed by local leaders and tailored outreach to maximize participation, mass awareness campaigns through multiple media platforms to explain the benefits of formalization.
Last year alone, URSB conducted 65 mobile clinics, reaching more than 25,900 Ugandans, a fourfold increase in citizen engagement compared to the first year.
Kainobwisho stressed that the initiative is about creating opportunity: “Formalizing businesses gives entrepreneurs access to markets, financing, and legal protection. It is a cornerstone of building a resilient and inclusive economy.”
With its expanded targets and intensified outreach, the mass registration drive is poised to accelerate Uganda’s transition from an informal to a structured business landscape, opening new doors for thousands of entrepreneurs while boosting the country’s economic resilience.