The awarded taxpayers in a group photo with PM, Robinah Nabbanja, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi and URA boss John R. Musinguzi
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has recognized the most complaint taxpayers in the 2022/2023 Financial Year.
This was during the 17th edition of the taxpayers appreciation awards ceremony held at URA headquarters in Nakawa on Thursday under the theme: Celebrating the economic heroes of Uganda.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja presided over the function as chief guest.
Nabbanja tasked the taxman to show the taxpayers service related approach in all aspects. According to Nabbanja, recognizing the taxpayers allows the government to account for the tax revenue collected.
She said that the taxpayers should know how their taxes are being used and that the taxpayers have a right to demand for services.
“That is governance,” she said, adding that Government is committed to ensuring that the revenue collected is put to good use.
She pledged total support to URA for purposes of efficiency and effectiveness. Nabbanja appealed to the taxpayers to continue paying their taxes in time.
Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, assured the country that the economy “is still strong.”
“We are moving. Don’t fear,” he said. He, however, said that he is aware of the delays in paying the government suppliers which in most cases leads to disputes between the URA and taxpayers.
He said that a mechanism is being worked between Finance and URA to sort the issue.
He added that while the economy is growing, the growth has been slow. He partly attributed the slow growth to effects of climate change on agriculture.
He pledged to support the taxpayers in all ways possible.
Kasaija commended URA for doing well over the last three years, but quickly added “we need more.”
“Save us from donor dependence,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, while delivering a keynote address said that in 1991 when the URA was created, the government collected Shs 134 billion. For the URA to be collecting over Shs25 trillion today, Ggoobi said it is a testimony of progress.
However, URA’s collection is lower “than the regional peers.”
Ggoobi said that the government is investing in strategic areas and that the Museveni administration is committed to ensuring the ease of doing business for the economy to flourish.
Speaking at the same event, the URA Commissioner General, John Rujoki Musinguzi said that although the taxman collected about 25.2 trillion, “we are still far away from developing our nation.”
“The Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, while launching the URA digital strategy last month, tasked us to raise the tax to GDP from the current 14% to 20% in the next four years. Once we achieve this milestone, we should be able to fund our national budget without relying on external donors. Developed countries with a high tax-to-GDP ably fund their national budgets without borrowing,” he said.
To this end, Musinguzi said everyone needs to contribute their fair share of tax.
Musinguzi said that the taxman is focusing on the area of modernization (technology) and building the capacity of the staff.
The URA is expected to collect nearly Shs30 trillion in the Financial Year 2023/2024.
Below is a list of the awarded taxpayers for 2022/23 FY;
