URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi and Archbishop Paul Semogerere are joined by other stakeholders in a group photo.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has officially joined forces with the Catholic Church to raise funds for the Nsambya Baby Home, emphasizing their commitment to support vulnerable children in Uganda.
At the announcement event held at Lubaga Cathedral, URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi remarked, “We take this as a statement of trust and understanding that besides putting on the toughest face to collect taxes, we are also humans who are moved by the plight of the least privileged and the weak and the vulnerable in our society.” He expressed excitement about the collaboration, which will include annual activities to support vulnerable children, particularly through the Nsambya Baby Home.
Musinguzi highlighted the pressing financial needs of the country, stating, “As Uganda Revenue Authority this financial year, we have been tasked to collect 32 trillion shillings. But our national budget is more than that—almost 72 trillion shillings—meaning the rest will either come from foreign support or from loans and grants.” He emphasized the necessity for Uganda to become self-sufficient and improve its tax collection, currently at only 14% of GDP.
“The loans that we acquire give us temporary relief, but we must service them,” he added. “Unless we do something differently, Uganda will not develop.” To address this, URA plans to deepen tax sensitization and education, leveraging partnerships with institutions like the Catholic Church to foster a culture of tax compliance among citizens.
Archbishop Paul Semogerere of Kampala welcomed the initiative, promising that the church would continue to promote tax compliance among its institutions. “We shall try to continue to put ourselves in order because I know there are those who are not,” he stated. “We have priests who you can have a conversation on taxation with, and they can even ask you because they are highly trained to make sure that we comply.”
Semogerere emphasized the biblical principle of accountability, urging Ugandans to remember, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God.” He also called on citizens to be responsible parents, stating, “Don’t have a child if you can’t look after him. When you actually fail to look after this child, bring the child to us to help you find the right person who can look after the child.”
The partnership will kick off with a charity run on September 28, 2024, aimed at raising Shs 200 million for the welfare of needy and vulnerable children. This initiative reflects a growing commitment to not only improve tax collection but also to enhance community support systems in Uganda.
