In short
Uganda loses 752 billion shillings in administering and collecting taxes. Richard Jabo, a principal economist in the Finance Ministry, says the tax burden is so huge that a number of reforms are being introduced to reduce it.
Uganda loses 752 billion shillings in administering and collecting taxes.
Richard Jabo, a principal economist in the Finance Ministry, says the tax burden is so huge that a number of reforms are being introduced to reduce it.
Jabo says in 2011, the ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives, passed a statutory instrument that is expected to reduce trade licensing burden by at least 25 percent. This would save the taxpayer about 188 billion shillings per annum.
He says some of the reforms include making tax payment forms freely available online, reducing the number of procedures in paying taxes, reducing the number of days and establishing service centres closer to taxpayers and online and mobile phone tax payment systems.
According to Jabo, with education and more innovation, administering taxes in Uganda could go down even further.
Speaking at the launch of the mobile phone tax payment system earlier, Allen Kagina, the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority, said tax compliance among small taxpayers is high except that many have access issues.
Kagina said that is why they introduced the mobile phone payment system to enable such taxpayers, most of whom have access to the mobile phone, to fulfill their tax obligations easily.
Robert Okello, an economist by training and a printer on Nasser Road in Kampala, says an efficient tax administration system has the potential of boosting the economy by making government have enough resources in its purse.
Richard Jabo, a principal economist in the Finance Ministry, says the tax burden is so huge that a number of reforms are being introduced to reduce it.
Jabo says in 2011, the ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives, passed a statutory instrument that is expected to reduce trade licensing burden by at least 25 percent. This would save the taxpayer about 188 billion shillings per annum.
He says some of the reforms include making tax payment forms freely available online, reducing the number of procedures in paying taxes, reducing the number of days and establishing service centres closer to taxpayers and online and mobile phone tax payment systems.
According to Jabo, with education and more innovation, administering taxes in Uganda could go down even further.
Speaking at the launch of the mobile phone tax payment system earlier, Allen Kagina, the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority, said tax compliance among small taxpayers is high except that many have access issues.
Kagina said that is why they introduced the mobile phone payment system to enable such taxpayers, most of whom have access to the mobile phone, to fulfill their tax obligations easily.
Robert Okello, an economist by training and a printer on Nasser Road in Kampala, says an efficient tax administration system has the potential of boosting the economy by making government have enough resources in its purse.
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