By Akinyi Winiefred
URA has opened a regional office in Masaka. The new office, located on plot 31 Muwenda Mutebi Road will serve as the URA service center for the South Western region.
Speaking at the grand opening in Masaka today, the Commissioner General John Musinguzi said the development is aimed at improving accessibility of services for taxpayers. He revealed that there are plans to have similar developments in Mbale and Gulu in the next financial years.
“With this new office, we aim to streamline our services and enhance our communication channels, making it easier for you to access the necessary information and resources,” Musinguzi noted.
He thanked the people of Masaka for paying taxes and encouraged them to use the new office as the first platform for engagement with URA.
“Every service that would have required you to travel to the URA Headquarters, you can access it here,” said Musinguzi.
Meanwhile, Southwestern Uganda is one of the regions contributing high revenue. Last financial year, the region contributed Ugx 85.18 billion which was an increment of 55% from the financial year 2021/2022, where Ugx 55.05 billion was collected.
Musinguzi said URA intends to grow revenue collections this financial year by leveraging the innovations that were recently unveiled in its digital strategy.
He mentioned the new online return pre-filled form with a taxpayer’s EFRIS transactions, which will replace the existing MS Excel return form for tax periods commencing on November 1, 2023; the revamped tax ledger; and the annual Rental Income Tax Return, among others.
Musinguzi also revealed that the tax body collected Ugx 6,015.56 billion in the first quarter of this financial year, recording a growth in revenue of Ugx 607.47 billion compared to the first quarter of FY 2022/23.
This growth he attributed to the increase in fuel import volumes, arrears recoveries from corporations and agencies, continuous taxpayer engagements, monitoring of the debt stock, and intensified field activities that spurred remittances from taxpayers.
Hon. Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, the Minister of State for Microfinance, in representation of the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, congratulated URA on the milestone and called on the tax body to increase taxpayer education to ensure revenue targets are achieved.
“Many people would wish to pay taxes, but they are not educated. We must narrow the gap between URA and the taxpayer,” he said.
The minister urged residents of Masaka to comply with paying taxes, highlighting the difference between revenue collections from the district and the funds allocated to it by government every financial year.
In his remarks, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, the Member of Parliament for Nyendo-Mukungwe, commended URA for changing the skyline of Masaka and for the symbiotic relationship between the tax body and the taxpayers in the city.
Other dignitaries that graced the function included Hon. Abed Bwanika Member of Parliament for Kimanya-Kabonera, Florence Namayanja, the Mayor of Masaka City, and the Resident City Commissioner of Masaka, Hudu Hussein, among others.
