President Yoweri Museveni has directed Matia Kasaija, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to ensure that all factories embrace digital tax stamps.
In a letter dated November 18, 2019, Museveni tells Kasaija to give all the support to the digital tax stamps provider, SICPA because the electronic method eliminates all fraud.
“I, therefore, direct that all factories in Uganda must give access to the company to install the cameras at our cost. What are they afraid of?” Museveni directs.
He adds: “Secondly, by copy of this letter, Ms. Doris Akol (Uganda Revenue Authority-URA Commissioner General) is to discuss with SICPA their offer of adding soft-ware to their system so as to be able to monitor the other taxes like income tax that are not covered by their present arrangement. URA should not waste money buying new equipment.”
The President also directed Ministry of Agriculture and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) “to discuss with SICPA what that company can help them with to digitally monitor quality, prices and the location of the respective items.”
In the same letter, Museveni said he will in December this year convene a meeting with the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance, URA, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and UNBS to discuss a one stop centre for monitoring and quality control.
Digital Tax Stamps are physical paper stamps that are applied to goods or their packaging but in this case contains security features and codes to prevent counterfeiting. They are sought to enable manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers to conveniently verify and trade all specified goods throughout the distribution chain while ensuring that they meet their tax obligations.
In November this year, URA started implementing digital tax stamps.
Uganda has joins regional neighbours Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania in implementing digital tax stamps.
