Textile and apparel makers have complained about the Government's failure to support them to break through and start exporting to the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) market.

"There is lack of government support to the textile and apparel sector. Only Tristar is supported.

This has made it difficult for operators to produce high-quality products that can penetrate the AGOA market," Santa Anzo, the proprietor of Arapapa, a fashion design company, said.

Anzo said this during training of the sector's operators for export readiness to the US market at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala.

"Although we can create jobs, we cannot grow. High interest rates can't allow us to access loans while the Government recently reduced taxes on second-hand clothes, making Uganda a dumping ground for the clothes," she said.

Anzo advised the Government to emulate South Africa where the private sector has been supported and successfully eliminated importation of the old clothes.

She made the contribution following a statement from the principal commercial officer from the trade ministry, Davies Bamuleseyo, who said that the Government is seeking for investors in