By Akinyi Winiefred
Rt. Rev. Pons Ozelle, the Bishop of Nebbi Diocese, has implored URA to leverage the church as a platform to further tax education.
“I am a business accountant who talks freely about financial literacy, and this has taken me places,” said the Bishop before he added, “My Diocese was defaulting, and the clergy were not willing to pay, but to encourage compliance, I registered for PAYE and increased the salaries of the staff to accommodate the tax component of their salary, and it became easy for them to pay.”
The bishop made this call during an engagement with URA officials in West Nile recently. He called on the government to provide accountability for taxes to drive compliance among Ugandans.
“In Singapore, people pay heavy taxes but enjoy the benefits of their tax; here it is a struggle; people’s contribution should be seen in improved infrastructure, and this will encourage compliance. There is still a lot to do in bridging the gap between government, the law, and the people.”
The Bishop tipped URA to use one of the church platforms, Christ the King Radio, to educate the community and participate in church events to spread the tax gospel. He further urged the tax body to refrain from aggressive enforcement as it derails revenue collection.
“I dissent against unfriendly enforcement methods, corrupt tendencies, poor customer care, negative politics, and deliberate ignorance of the law, which undermine revenue collection.”
Early this year, URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi met with various stakeholders in the West Nile region, where they agreed to prioritize engagement to enhance taxpayer compliance in the region.
Clare Sanyu, the Stakeholder Coordinator, Northern Region, notes that this will ultimately bridge the gap between the authority and the community in the region.
She however informed the bishop that while URA made commitments, the locals should refrain from engaging in illegal activities and using violent methods as it costs both them and the government.
She rallied the bishop to engage his flock on the ongoing motor vehicle registration.
“The deadline for the special consideration on motorcycle registration is soon approaching; people should take advantage of this opportunity, and we pray that you can help us pass on this message to the people,” said Sanyu.
According to Hawards Anguandia, the In-Charge of Nebbi Domestic Taxes, motor vehicle registration in West Nile has greatly contributed to the growth of the taxpayer register and driven a boost in revenue.
Deogratius Kaleebi, the Supervisor of Customs West Nile, notes that the deliberate efforts being made to educate the community in West Nile are to ensure that enforcement is employed on a minimal scale.
“If everyone appreciates the need to collect taxes, it becomes smooth, and there may be no need for enforcement,” he asserts.
