By Immaculate Wanyenze
It is on record that URA has engaged and educated manufacturers, distributors and other taxpayers to stamp all gazetted products. The 13 products gazetted for digital tax stamps include; Beer, Soda, bottled water, wines, spirits, tobacco products, sugar, cement. Other products are; cooking oil, fruit and vegetable juices, non-alcoholic beverages (kombuchas, teas and health drinks, bushera), alcoholic beverages and fermented beverages (cider, mead, perry or other form of beers).
However, a number of business owners are hatching tricks on producing goods and selling them without stamps. On 13th August 2022, a truck of registration number UBF 436W was netted at the URA custom ’s border point in Namayingo. The driver was confident of his products-Alakara health drink meeting the standards. And indeed from a distance all items on the truck looked legit, however, upon further verification, it was discovered that the stamping of the bottles was selectively done as follows;
Alakara brand
- 85ctns x12 bottles x 280mls (02 bottles in each carton unstamped).
- 04ctns x 12 bottles x280mls (03 bottles in each carton unstamped)
- 07ctnsx 12bottles x280mls (01 bottles in each carton unstamped)
- 10ctns x 12bottles x280mls unstamped (manufactured before July 2022)
- 11botles x280mls unstamped (Mfr. Date 25th .07.2022)
- 05bottles x 280mls unstamped (manufactured before July 2022
- 17ctns x12bottles x280mls (fully stamped)
Upepo brand
- 108ctnsx12bottles x300mls (Fully stamped)
The distributors, Agamuzahura Company Uganda Ltd located in Amen A in Soroti were immediately engaged on the anomaly but failed to convince the taxman.
According to Bitetirweho Ngumya, the URA customs officer on ground, the products were impounded and handed over to the Domestic Taxes team in the Eastern for the offence management process.
Meanwhile, DTS is a solution that enables tracking and tracing of a product right from production or importation through distribution to consumption. It provides for application of Digital Tax Stamps by manufacturers/importers using both manual and automated processes of production, and the verification of products from the factory/importation to the point of sale. The stamps are physical in nature and are applied on goods or their packaging containing security features such as codes for the purposes of fighting counterfeits and allowing for the tracing of goods. The initiative is intended to combat trade illicit, substandard or counterfeit products, protect consumers against harmful products, encourage fair competition in the market, increase government revenue to plan for this country.
Taxpayers are therefore encouraged to register for the DTS: procure tax stamps and affix them on their products to avoid penalties which can be detrimental to one’s business.
