By Charles Katabalwa/Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: The Authority is targeting to collect ugx 25 trillion from taxes in this financial year (FY)2023/2024.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) says shillings 57 billon was recovered from tax fraud in the period of July -December 2022.
URA spokesperson Ibrahim K Bossa while addressing journalists in Nsambya at Mestil hotel during the official opening of the two-day meeting of East African Revenue Authorities Commissioners of Tax Investigations, said that a lot of tax is lost through smuggling, forgery among others but much efforts has been put to ensure all that is eliminated that is why towards the end of 2022 tax was saved.
“East African Revenue Authorities Commissioners of Tax Investigations team coming out to put more strategies to curb tax crime is timely and blessing in disguise because each member state can borrow a leaf from the other on how to breach revenue leakages” Bossa adds.
“Although there is a need to sensitize public on why they should pay tax” Pro disclosed.
However, Bossa has revealed that through the use of technology, security among others URA is determined to collect Ugx 25 trillion in FY 2023/2024 although no new laws have been put to help in collecting tax.
Meanwhile the East African Revenue Authorities Commissioners of Tax Investigations has embarked on new strategies to eliminate Tax fraud in the region and all Tax investigation commissioners from East African community countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Burundi Republic of Rwanda and South Sudan are in Uganda Kampala at Mestil hotel Nsambya for 2 days annual meeting to draw more strategies and way forward.
The Commissioner Tax Investigations Department at Uganda Revenue Authority, Denis Kugonza Kateeba revealed that elimination of tax fraud has been difficult because tax investigation commissioners in every country has been working on its own but now they have decided to work together to make sure each business is captured after paying tax then details sent to every authority of EAC for accountability.
” We are going to give capacity building to all new members such that tax crime is handled uniformly and it is needed going to help increase on tax collection to every member state” Kugonza adds
He challenged them to work hand in hand with security and legal teams in there respectively countries such that perpetrators are brought to book.