By Irene Kabakama
Uganda Revenue Authority is set to collaborate with Next Media in the area of tax education. During a meeting held at the URA headquarters yesterday, Commissioner General John Musinguzi tasked the Next Media team to develop a solid tax education strategy for this financial year.
He informed them that URA is revamping its communication with clients to ensure taxpayers understand their obligations.
“This will be achieved by focusing on popular, frequent, and sustainable programs that run on multiple platforms and in various regions,” Musinguzi explained.
URA recently underwent a structural realignment where the tax education function was elevated to a division headed by an Assistant Commissioner. According to Musinguzi, this is aimed at generating targeted tax education content.
To further enhance the function, the Public and Corporate Affairs division will be responsible for disseminating tax information, while the Research and Strategy department will assess the effectiveness and efficiency of tax education programs.
Musinguzi expressed confidence in the partnership, saying that URA is now moving to “SMART” tax education techniques, and having innovative teams like Next Media on board is a plus.
URA has in the past collaborated with Next Media on campaigns like the tax waiver campaign and EFRIS, among others.
Kin Kariisa, the CEO of the Next Media Group, also lauded the partnership, asserting that, if their services are utilized effectively, URA could collect UGX 36 trillion this financial year.
“Most citizens are still not aware of tax types like VAT, rental, and advance income tax, despite them existing for over 30 years,” he expressed.
According to the CEO, by collaborating with the Next Media Group, URA would be able to reach over 25 million.
“Effective tax education should not be undercover but seen by everyone, and thus, through our platforms like the United Media Company, URA can reach everywhere,” Kariisa affirmed.
He also advised URA to provide tax-related information to journalists so that they can disseminate it as and when needed.
Robert Kalumba, the Ag. Assistant Commissioner of Public and Corporate Affairs, assured the team of a closer collaboration with an emphasis on citizen participation, closing the information gap, and increasing visibility, tax knowledge, and trust.
