By Akinyi Winiefred
URA’s efforts in countering illicit trade have yielded this week with the taxman impounding several tonnes of smuggled goods across the country.
As the festive season draws close, trade volumes increase as traders look to make the most of it. Their prospects are, however, threatened by economic saboteurs that flood the market with uncustomed, cheaper goods.
Cognizant of this, the taxman has heightened surveillance across the country.
A daring rice smuggler in Bugiri who was targeting the peaked demand in Kampala had his plans ruined when URA officers turned up, impounding his 73 bags of uncustomed rice.
The story was not any different for the economic saboteur in Budaka.
Armed with intelligence pointing to uncustomed rice in the eastern district, the enforcement team from Iganga zeroed in on a compound and mounted a search.
“There were signs that a vehicle had just vacated the homestead with some of the smuggled goods, but still, our efforts were not in vain,” one of the officers involved in the operation explained.
55 bags of assorted Pakistani rice were retrieved from the premises.
According to the East African Community Common External Tariff (EAC-CET), the importation of rice outside the EAC is subject to import duty at a rate of 75%, while rice sourced from the EAC attracts a 0% import duty.
The importers in these cases are required to pay the applicable taxes and penalties for smuggling.
Efforts in eastern Uganda this week also yielded 150 cartons of repackaged shell Lubricant that were recovered in Busia. Seven bales of clothes, several cartons of cigarettes, one motorcycle, and a taxi number UBB983Q were also impounded from smugglers in Bulamagi and Iganga CBD.
While the team in Iganga mostly netted festive-related items, the team in Bugango-Kyankwanzi district brought down a cosmetics smuggler.
The ‘suspect’ and his remodelled empty-seater Toyota Hiace were no match for URA’s fast-chasing double cabins as beauty products, including soap, jelly, and other assorted items, were impounded. The Toyota Hiace was also taken into custody for conveying uncustomed goods.
URA remains committed to securing legitimate trade and encourages the public to report suspected cases of non-compliance.
