The Legal and Corporate Affairs Director at Nile Breweries Limited, Onapito Ekomoloit, has urged the government of Uganda to work together with the people if they are going to encourage them to pay taxes.
Ekomoloit stated this while addressing matters of the national budget, which has risen from Shs 52 trillion to Shs 72.12 trillion.
“Let us work together to convince people that when you pay taxes, you gain. You convince them through actions; they have to see,” Ekomoloit said.
He said this on May 17, 2024, while appearing on a local news channel interview, where he emphasised the need for the government to educate Ugandans on the importance of taxes.
“Most Ugandans try to evade taxes apart from us, who are trapped in the salary system. We have been paying taxes for more than a decade, but citizens need to see what their taxes are doing,” he added.
Mark Arnold Wadulo, a news anchor and business journalist, advised the government during the same discussion to look for innovative ways of taxing Ugandans.
He stated that the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) is a good initiative by the government to ensure tax compliance.
“The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) is a good initiative, but it was not well communicated by the government. Tax compliance is made easier with such progressive initiatives,” Wadulo stated.
On May 16, 2024, Members of Parliament rejected government’s attempt to impose a Shs 300 levy on kerosene, a proposal that was part of the new levies on other commodities, including mineral water, presented to Parliament by the Ministry of Finance, stating that Ugandans are already overtaxed.
