By Dismas Nuwaine
Dr. Gaalya Micah, the Ag. Assistant Commissioner Tax Education, revealed to young people how the government uses tax revenue to fund key social services that take the form of benefits and facilities such as quality education, food subsidies, health care, social security, which aim at improving the life and living conditions of citizens.
This happened yesterday as URA’s Tax Education team trained young people camped at the Ekyisaakaate Kya Nnabagereka Gatonya, 2025 edition held at Janan School, Bombo Campus.
The youths were trained on the foundational knowledge about taxes, including their purpose, types, how they are applied, and why understanding them is every Ugandan’s, young people included, civic responsibility.
Michael Masembe, the Manager tax education explained that focusing on young people is a key part of the tax man’s strategy to create a “tax-conscious” generation, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to become responsible contributors to the economy as future taxpayers.
He highlighted several initiatives, including the nationwide Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) campaigns, which take a hands-on approach to teach students about important tax compliance processes, such as filing returns, issuing e-receipts, and managing invoices.
Michelle Nankabirwa, a 17-year old, grade 12 student at Shekinah Christian International School, who also won herself a branded URA shirt after answering a few questions about the revenue body, was one of hundreds of young people between the ages of 14 and 19, who attended the session.
Bubbly and so full of life, this young, aspiring lawyer, Michelle acknowledged that before this session, she held several misconceptions about URA. One of the key misunderstandings she confessed was believing that the taxman solely decides how much money to collect and how the taxes are spent.
Hafsah Sseguya, the tax educator, cleared up many of the misconceptions.
“When taxes are collected,” she explained, “the money goes into one government account called the consolidated fund. From there, it’s managed by the Ministry of Finance, as directed by the president and approved by parliament, which the people elect to represent them.”
Michelle couldn’t have been happier with the session.
“I’ve realized that many Ugandans, including myself, misunderstand what URA does. The truth is, URA collects taxes and reports them to the Ministry of Finance, which supervises them. The tax authority doesn’t decide what taxes to collect or how the money is spent,” said Michelle after getting clarity on her matters.
Nabukwasi Hellena, 19-year-old vaccist and former student at Mbale Progressive also shared her key learnings.
“I got clarity today that EFRIS is not a tax as has been said but a smart application to facilitate VAT payment,”
Nabukwasi expressed her gratitude to URA for helping them understand the entire taxation process, its importance and their role in the building of a better country.
