President Yoweri Museveni has today closed a symposium, which discussed the role of science in tax administration at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The first on the African continent, the four-day discussion attracted 95 participants from over 95 countries. The Evolution of Science in Tax Administration was the theme.
Participants shared ideas on using input-output ratios of manufacturing systems to determine fair tax, digital forensics in securing and analysing taxpayer information especially in cases of fraud and geospatial technologies for correctly locating taxpayers.
The topics were facilitated by officers from URA’s Tax Investigation Department (TID), which co-organised the symposium with the African Tax Administrators Forum (ATAF). Two officials from ATAF discussed compliance risk management. Participants visited Roofings Limited for a field study.
The President, a proponent of science, hailed URA and ATAF for organising the symposium and adopting science in tax administration.
Museveni said that revenue collection is central to Uganda’s economic independence and national sovereignty and as such scientific measures to support tax compliance are to be fully supported.
These include among others establishment of non-intrusive inspection cargo scanners at all Ugandan border posts, electronic monitoring and digital stamping of goods in production, monitoring of all money transfers, input and output analysis strengthening, chemical analysis strengthening, use of Electronic Fiscal Devices to monitor shop sales electronically and use of geo-mapping of rental properties to avert under declaration in the real estate sector.
Notables at the closing ceremony were the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija and ATAF Executive Secretary, Logan Wort, The Chairman PSFU , Patrick Bitature , Former URA CG, Allen Kagina, Ag. Commissioner General, Patrick Mukiibi and the URA senior management team.
In 2008, TID adopted the use of science to facilitate tax administration. The department has since hired over 20 professionals namely food scientists and industrial chemists. Others are oil and gas engineers, qualitative surveyors and forensics and digital scientists. They facilitate revenue collection and detect crime.
