IRAU | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1997 |
Jurisdiction | Government of Uganda |
Headquarters | Nakasero, Kampala, Uganda |
Agency executives |
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Parent agency | Uganda Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development |
Website | Homepage |
The Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRAU) is a government agency mandated to "ensure the effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of the business of Insurance in Uganda". [1]
The headquarters of IRAU are located at: Plot 6 Lumumba Avenue, on Nakasero Hill in the Kampala Central Division. The coordinates of the IRAU headquarters Kampala are:0°19'03.5"N 32°34'41.5"E. [2]
In March 2018, construction began on Insurance Towers, a 13-floor skyscraper to house the headquarters of IRAU. The 16,500 square metres (178,000 sq ft) building is being built by Roko Construction Company Limited, at a cost of USh28.4 billion (approx. US$7.6 million). Completion is expected in September 2019. [3]
The agency was created in 1997 by an Act of Parliament. This followed the liberalization and privatization policies of Uganda's government, which ended its direct provision of goods and services and the adoption the role of supervisor and regulator. [4]
The policy-setting, seven-member board of directors is chaired by Isaac Nkote Nabeta. The seven-person Senior Management Team is led by Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega, the chief executive officer, who also sits on the board. [5]
In July 2014, IRAU directed every insurer in the country to form separate companies dealing in life business (life policies, annuities, etc.) and general business (liability, automobile, general risk, etc.). The objective was to prevent a downturn in one type of business from spreading risk across the entire industry. Also, foreign insurance companies were instructed to have no more than two non-Ugandans in their top management, with one of the top two being Ugandan. That same regulation also required at least half the members of the board of directors of each insurance company to reside inside Uganda. These measures were aimed at encouraging the development of local talent and capacity building within the industry. Businesses were given until 1 January 2015 to comply. [6]
To create an enabling regulatory environment for sustainable growth of the insurance industry while upholding best practices.
A model regulator of a developed and secure insurance industry.
Integrity, Innovation and Resilience
Before Uganda's independence in 1962, the main banks in Uganda were Barclays ; Grindlays, Standard Bank and the Bank of Baroda from India. The currency was issued by the East African Currency Board, a London-based body. In 1966, the Bank of Uganda (BoU), which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the central bank and national banking regulator. The government-owned Uganda Commercial Bank and the Uganda Development Bank were launched in the 1960s. The Uganda Development Bank is a state-owned development finance institution, which channeled loans from international sources into Ugandan enterprises and administered most of the development loans made to Uganda.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is a government revenue collection agency established by the Parliament of Uganda. Operating under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the URA is responsible for enforcing, assessing, collecting, and accounting for the various taxes imposed in Uganda.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) is a government agency that regulates, licenses, and supervises the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electrical energy in Uganda.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is the government agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and regulating civil aviation matters in the country. It is administered by the Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport.
I&M Bank Uganda, formerly Orient Bank, whose complete name is I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited, is a commercial bank in Uganda which is licensed by the Bank of Uganda (BOU), the central bank and national banking regulator.
FINCA Uganda Limited, also known as FINCA Uganda, is a microfinance deposit-accepting institution (MDI) in Uganda. It is licensed and regulated by the Bank of Uganda, the central bank and national banking regulator.
Old Mutual Holdings Plc, Formally known as UAP Holdings Limited, is an investment, retirement, and insurance group that operates mainly in Eastern Africa. UAP Holdings is one of the leading insurance and financial services groups in eastern Africa with a network of branches and operational subsidiaries spread across the greater eastern and central Africa regions.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is a government agency mandated to develop and maintain the national roads network, advise the government on general roads policy, contribute to the addressing of national transport concerns, and perform certain other functions. UNRA is charged with, among other things, the selection of contractors, the supervision of construction, the scheduling of maintenance, and the prioritization of national road works.
The National Drug Authority (NDA) is a government-owned organisation in Uganda, mandated to regulate drugs in the country, including their manufacture, importation, distribution, and licensing.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAOU), also known as the Uganda National Petroleum Authority, is governmental organisation that regulates the petroleum industry in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. Its responsibilities include licensing, regulation, supervision of exploration, harvesting, refining, marketing, and disposal of petroleum products in the country. Although owned by the Ugandan government, it is expected to act independently.
The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to generate electric power for use in Uganda and for sale to neighboring countries. As of December 2017, UEGCL's generation capacity was 380 megawatts, with that capacity planned to increase to over 1,300 megawatts, by 2023.
The Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE) is a semi-autonomous government regulatory agency, responsible for the regulation of higher education in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. UNCHE is also responsible for provision of guidance in the establishment of institutions of higher education and the provision of assurance that quality and relevant education is delivered, by the licensed institutions.
The Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) is a government-owned, semi-autonomous agency responsible for regulating, licensing, supervising, and controlling the retirement sector in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. The authority is also responsible for issuing guidelines to allow the liberalization of the retirement sector in the country.
The JLOS House Project, is a three-component government office development project under construction in Uganda's capital city of Kampala. The buildings are intended to house the offices of the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS). The three components of the project are:
The Uganda Deposit Protection Fund (UDPF) is a Ugandan government agency that provides deposit insurance to depositors in Ugandan banks and deposit-taking microfinance institutions. The UDPF was created in July 1994. The law was amended in 2004 to create an independent agency, separate from the Bank of Uganda.
The National Environment Management Authority of Uganda (NEMA), is a government agency responsible for the monitoring, coordinating, supervising and regulating the natural environment and the environmental policy of Uganda. NEMA advises the government of Uganda and spearheads the development of environmental policies, regulations, laws, guidelines and standards.
The Insurance Towers (IT), is a government building in Kampala, Uganda which houses the headquarters of the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda.
The Joint Medical Store (JMS), is a non-government organisation in Uganda, mandated to procure, store and distribute human medication and health-related consumable items to health units. It is owned by the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau and the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau, the two entities who own the NGO.
Electricity Regulatory Authority House, also New ERA House, is a commercial office building constructed between June 2018 and September 2021, in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and the largest city in that country. The building serves as the headquarters of Electricity Regulatory Authority, (ERA), the Uganda government agency responsible for the regulation, licensing, and supervision of the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electricity in that country.