President Yoweri Museveni is spitting fire lately. Museveni in his budget speech hailed: “We have now cleaned URA and will do so with other agencies.”

Museveni’s anger stems from the low revenues that have characterised the treasury. The President has always hailed his government for the collections and how they have gone on to sustain crucial infrastructural sectors like roads and energy.

His previous state of the nation and budget speeches have been glittered with talk of ‘we are now funding our road construction’ and ‘we do not need money from donors’.

However, the last two state of the nation addresses have been littered by need to collect more. A visibly furious Museveni confirmed why he relieved top Uganda Revenue Authority URA officials including the commissioner general Doris Akol of their duties, recently.

Those he fired along with Akol, included; Dickson Kateshumbwa, (Customs, Tax Investigations and Domestic Taxes), Henry Saka (tax investigations), Silajji Kanyesigye (Assistant Commissioner large taxpayers office), and Samuel Kahima (tax Auditor domestic tax department).

The President went on to appoint John Musinguzi to replace Akol the new Commissioner General URA. And demanded the URA board makes changes.

Minister Kasaija underlined in his budget that the resource envelope of 2020/21 is sh45.493 trillion, of which domestic resources amount to sh25.585 trillion. Domestic financing amounts to sh3.560 trillion.

External financing consisted of Project Support of sh9.515 trillion and General Budget Support sh2.906.7 trillion. Domestic re-financing he said amounts to sh7.486 trillion and Appropriation in Aid is sh215.6b.

The minister added that total expenditure amounts to sh37.792 trillion of which recurrent expenditure is sh19.787 trillion and development expenditure is sh18.004 trillion.

The President was taken aback by the figures Kasaija presented and charged: “I am still concerned about our tax: GDP ratio, which at 14% is still very low. Part of the problem has been collusion at URA to aid tax evasion. We have now cleaned URA and will do so with other agencies.”

The President has shifted goal posts to KCCA another agnecy that is crucial to the country’s tax base. Since the departure of the Executive Director Jennifer Ssemakula Musisi, the top leadership of the authority has been on acting capacity.

The President has replaced Andrew Kitaka with Dorothy Kisaka who has been working in the Prime Minister’s office.

Museveni also appointed Dr. Daniel Okello Ayen, as Director, Public Health and Environment, Ms. Sarah Kanyike, for Director Gender, Community Services and Ms. Grace Akullo, for Director, Human Resources and Administration.

Rental tax
President was critical in the area of rental tax collections. He argued that the country was being denied huge sums from uncollected tax in the country. Kampala composes the biggest percentage of rental properties in the country. But, the President castigated URA and KCCA tasked with the duty to implement the exercise after the former concluded the registration of properties in the country in 2018.

Musisi shoes
Jennifer Musisi left a huge vaccum at KCCA which to-date has been filled. Musisi was accused by the President for costing him votes in Kampala in 2016 when she cleared the city of lower end traders like vendors, But her works as Kampala Executive Director continue to put the city at the front page. The directors at the authority have been working on her blueprint.

Congestation
Kampala till the Covid-19, had been infested by the uncoordinated transport system. Boda Boda and taxis continue to be Kampala’s biggest headache. Their operations remain unregulated. KCCA leadership under Andrew Kitaka has dragged their feet on regulating the transport congestation in the city.