A section of Members of Parliament have started collecting 154 signatures from fellow legislators in a bid to recall Parliament from recess over the Social Media and Mobile Money tax.
The MPs who include Ntungamo Municipality, MP Gerald Karuhanga, Soroti Municipality MP, Herbert Ariko, Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi and Bugabula South MP, Henry Maurice Kibalya addressed Journalists at Parliament.
There has been general public uproar since Sunday with sections of the citizens speaking out strongly against the new Shilling 200 per day Over the Top (OTT) commonly known as social media tax and one percent tax on mobile money.
Both taxes and others came into effect on Sunday 1st July, when the financial year 2018/2019 started.
Karuhanga, the lead petitioner, says that the passing of the taxes by Parliament was absurd.
“Initially, we thought that we had made a mistake on the floor of parliament and we thought the government would also reconsider the enforcement. We believed that the majority voices of MPs had been loud and they were opposed to this tax but somehow it passed,” said Karuhanga.
He said that they have decided to collect signatures and petition Speaker Rebecca Kadaga under Rule 21 of the Parliament Rules of Procedure to recall parliament from recess.
Herbert Ariko, the Soroti Municipality MP wants the other MPs to support the recalling of Parliament since taxes affect the electorate which voted them.
Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi described the taxes as oppressive. He said that the tax was passed even when the majority of MPs had opposed it.
Bugabula South MP Henry Maurice Kibalya said that the process they have embarked should be supported by all Ugandans.
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