KASESE, UGANDA. A section of aggrieved taxpayers from Kasese District have asked President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s government to cut public officials’ salaries and stop them from being treated abroad in order to cut expenditure and drive the country out of its current economic woes.
Recently, Parliament approved a Shs 52. 7 Trillion Budget for the 2023-2024 Financial Year in which taxpayers will be required to finance 56.35 per cent of the budget, translating in Shs 29.7 trillion.
During a post-budget engagement held at Virina Gardens in Kasese town – organized by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and hosted by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) – taxpayers noted that there is need for government to cut officials’ salaries and restrict them from being treated abroad for the purposes of reducing expenditure.
Tax payers such as Joy Biira, Martin Musoke and Julius Kato complained that government was levying high taxes on their small business so as to be able to pay salaries and help top officials seek treatment outside the country while millions of Ugandans are condemned to poor health services in public hospitals where there are sometimes no drugs and where health workers are demotivated.
Musoke said that the multiple and high taxes were making it difficult for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to survive.
The taxpayers also tasked the government to make accountability for money spent on officials’ treatment abroad, and to resolve to start spending this money to construct and adequately equip health facilities in the country.
James Mbahimba, a former MP for Kasese Municipality, asked URA to sensitize masses about electronic payment since most of them are illiterate on the use of technology in clearing to taxes.
Responding to taxpayers concerns, Richard Kalisa, a commissioner from URA, noted that the tax collection body will continue to hold mass sensitization across the country.
David Okwii, a Senior Economist at the Finance Ministry, who represented the minster for finance noted that government will cut the cost of travels for its officials to a half and that a report from the Salaries Review Commission will be released soon.
You can see the list of Uganda’s most highly paid government employees as well as Museveni’s government position on salary increment in the next financial year Here and There.
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