URA CG John Musinguzi serving a client
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has launched a Client Service Charter based on the three core values of patriotism, integrity and professionalism.
Launching the Charter yesterday, URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi said “Through this document, we commit to serve our valued taxpayers efficiently so that there is no taxpayer who will come to our offices and leave with a disappointed face. There is no reason we should ask you to come back tomorrow for services that we can offer you today. Instead of telling you to come back tomorrow, we are changing that. We are telling you, wait around for 5 to 10 minutes, we will pick up our cellphone, call the officer who received your request, we will ask him to do the needful and feed your documents in the system so that you can go back with your TIN. This is the new part that we are committing to you.”
“Hold us accountable for the commitment in this Charter. We want our taxpayers to read this document and hold us accountable. We should deliver as in the charter and if we don’t, hold us accountable. URA is going an extra mile to committing an efficient service to our taxpayer and this is the standard service charter,” CG Musinguzi said.
The CG said the Authority knows that it is not easy for a taxpayer to part with some of their income but noted that “when you think about it, it is the right thing to do because a nation cannot grow unless it is able to collect enough revenue to run all the programs of government.”
The launch of the Charter coincided with the Client Service Week.
In honor of this, URA senior leadership spent their entire morning serving clients.
According to the CG, in a bid to improve services to the taxpayers, “we said let’s take some time off to come and feel what our taxpayers go through when they come to us for service. And this is what we have been doing since morning. I served a number of taxpayers. And indeed what they are looking for, most of the services they want are things that can be solved there and then. And we have solved those. One of the most looked after services is getting a TIN (Tax Identification Number. After you have made the application online, you come so that we verify your documents and then we issue you a TIN but sometimes because you submitted your application to a different office, say Mukono, you may come here and find that your details have not yet arrived or they have not been verified. We are saying, instead of saying you go and come back, we will solve your problem there and then.”
These were concluded by exchange of gifts to the taxpayers in appreciation of the effort and commitment in paying their taxes.
The CG says, “It is only through every citizen paying their fair share of tax that we will develop our nation”
CG Musinguzi told the taxpayers that “We also want you to make a commitment that going forward, you will pay your taxes honorably and your declarations will be true so that together we can develop our nation.”
