Ugandan officials gather for the launch of the 2023/24 Annual Report on the State of Equal Opportunities in Uganda at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.
KAMPALA, UGANDA – A damning report by the Equal Opportunities Commission has exposed the crippling effects of multiple taxation on Ugandans, sparking calls for reform.
“The traders have been coming to the opportunities commission citing multiple taxation,” said Sarah Nalule Juuko, Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission. “Let me tell you an example, if you talk about property tax, maybe in Kampala here, Kampala City Council comes, the local governments set property tax on one building, then URA comes and asks for another tax.”
Nalule Juuko warned that continued multiple taxation may force businesses to close. “If you sit down to compile those multiple taxes, you will just get sick,” she said.
The report reveals that both formal and informal workers face a myriad of taxes at national and local levels, including income tax, property tax, and various fees and levies on goods and services.
“We are recommending that Ugandans are overburdened with multiple taxation, and if it continues, people are going to get out of business,” Nalule Juuko emphasized. “We know very well that it is good for citizens to pay taxes, because that’s the only way the government can have an internal source of raising revenue to run business or government. But multiple taxation must be checked. It must be checked.”
Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi Akena, stressed the importance of keeping Universal Primary Education schools free. “We need to ensure that children from low-income families can access quality education without financial barriers,” she said.
The report also highlights alarming examples of taxation overlap, where multiple agencies tax the same property. Taxpayers face multiple taxation on the same income, with different authorities imposing various taxes and legal fees.
Other key issues highlighted include land disputes arising from unclear boundaries, inheritance issues, and disagreements between landlords and tenants. Additionally, despite Universal Primary Education being free, many schools charge additional fees ranging from UGX 4,000 to UGX 170,000.
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