By Kamugisha Kabahweza Allan
Dinah Amwanga, the Chairperson of the Women in Cross-Border Trade Association has advised traders in Malaba town to import goods via gazetted routes for Uganda to fully profit from cross-border trade.
Amwanga made this call during a baraza on cross-border trade held by the Uganda Revenue Authority in Malaba.
“Let us pay and trade in a healthy environment free from risks, I urge you to use gazetted areas and pay taxes,”Amwanga said.
Her call was echoed by John Okea, the Tororo District chairperson, who underlined the connection between revenue and service delivery.
“Taxes collected by URA are used to build tarmac roads, hospitals, piped water systems, power, and the ambulances you see. That means revenue has to be collected to get service delivery,” he explained.
Okea commended URA for organizing the baraza and advised them to extend the community-wide awareness campaign so that traders could make informed decisions.
During the engagement, the traders were briefed on the simplified trade regimes, including the simplified EAC certificate of origin, the simplified import regime (PB4), and the simplified export regime.
“URA has simplified the trade regime to save traders from hiring the services of agents and to ensure that traders are not burdened with extra costs,” said James Bob Barungi, the Supervisor Customs.
