Erepi Primary Teachers College (PTC) gate in Moyo district (Courtesy Photo)
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has closed Erepi Primary Teachers’ College (PTC) in Moyo district due to tax arrears. The college has accumulated arrears of over 8.4 million Ugandan shillings from the financial years 2017/2018 and 2019/2020, resulting from the non-remittance of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes.
Florence Aturo Ajungo, the principal of the college, admitted that the closure was a result of the previous administration’s failure to remit taxes to URA. She inherited the tax arrears when she assumed her position in February 2022.
Williams Anyama, the Moyo district LC V chairperson, criticized the college administration for neglecting their obligation to remit taxes. Anyama emphasized the need for the administration to account for the funds deducted from employees as PAYE but not remitted to URA.
Noel Taba-Tabe, the chairperson of the Board of Governors of the college declined to comment on the matter. However, Sam Assusi, the Moyo district Secretary for Finance, Planning, and Administration, advised the current college leadership to address the tax arrears issue, despite inheriting it from the previous administration.
This development comes at a time when the Ministry of Education and Sports has re-gazetted Erepi Primary Teachers College (PTC) to become part of Muni University Campus as part of the ongoing restructuring of Teacher Training Institutions in the country.
All Non-Core Primary Teachers’ Colleges in Uganda have been phased out. According to Section 137 of the Income Tax Act, failure to submit required tax returns or documents within the stipulated time frame is considered an offense and may result in a fine not exceeding fifteen currency points upon conviction.
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