WE NEED SAME TAX EXCEPTIONS

The 1st Deputy Prime Minister And Minister of East African Affairs Community in Uganda Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga

was chief guest at Uganda – Tanzania at Mutukula boarder Rice Agribusinesses Development Foundation signing a trade MOU. The Ugandan agribusiness traders called upon the Minister’s attention on the trade imbalances at the boarder which don’t favour them at all. For instance,  one of the most unfairness that the  Ugandan traders at the Mutukula boarder pointed out was Tanzanians exports to Uganda are tax free  but when it comes to them exporting to Tanzania , the taxes levied on their goods are too high for them to transact business. The URA customs officer who represented the authority at Mutukula boarder noted out that  each day of the year at the boarder there’s an entry of not less than 200 truck and trailers from Tanzania not carrying anything but Maize, Rice and Onions among others.

Case Study:

According to the Uganda National Rice Development Strategy, Total production is estimated at 165,000metric tones. Total rice consumption is estimated at 225,000metric tones. Population growth rate is 3.2% thus the demand for rice is expected to rise. Since the introduction of upland rice in 2002, rice farming has grown from 4,000 farmers to over 35,000. From the earlier releases of three upland rice varieties in Uganda in 2002 courtesy of the Rock feller support farmers were able to reap $9 million (14.9 billion) in 2005. 

Rt..Hon. Rebecca Kadaga assured the traders to follow up on the mater during a meeting which she’s due to attend earlier on this month in Arusha with the East African Community Ministers.