By Dismas Nuwaine
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is stepping up its fight against financial fraud by investing in the skills of its tax investigators. John R. Musinguzi, Commissioner General has reaffirmed his commitment to continuous staff training in several critical areas to close tax leakages.
Musinguzi applauded the partnership between URA and His Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that has helped strengthen URA’s Tax Investigations Department (TID). HMRC experts have completed the first week of a 10-day capacity-building training, aimed at sharpening URA’s ability to detect and combat financial crimes.
“Since 2022, HMRC has been a dedicated partner in our journey to build a highly skilled team,” Musinguzi said, adding that, “We want our tax investigators to master financial intelligence, which will help us close revenue leaks, bring fraudsters to justice, and improve compliance.
He said that this will, in turn, strengthen revenue collection efforts.
The training is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between URA and HMRC in 2022. This ongoing partnership has already delivered three in-country training sessions, equipping URA staff with specialised skills in financial investigations, money laundering detection, asset recovery, and confiscation of illegally acquired wealth.
Denis Kugonza, Commissioner of the Tax Investigations Department, emphasized the value of learning from HMRC’s expertise. “HMRC is one of the world’s most efficient tax authorities, collecting over 35% of the UK’s tax-to-GDP ratio. A key reason for their success is their strong investigative arm, which drives compliance. Through this partnership, we are developing our own team to handle complex areas like cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering.”
The training also focused on strengthening URA’s Human Resource (HR) strategies. Naya Acheampong, an HR officer at HMRC, commended URA’s HR team for their eagerness to learn and improve.
Lydia Mulondo, URA’s Assistant Commissioner HR, shared that the training covered essential topics like change management, cultural transformation, and employee experience, critical insights that will inform workforce development.
Musinguzi highlighted the importance of cultural transformation in fighting corruption. “Change doesn’t happen overnight, but we are committed to creating a work environment built on integrity and professionalism,” he said.
Both teams have agreed to extend discussions on renewing their MoU, which would allow for continued collaboration. This includes sharing personnel for both short and long-term assignments, as well as ongoing virtual and in-person training.
