Social Media, Mobile Money taxes NOT up for debate as Parliament resumes

By Joseph Lubandi

Posted on July 10, 2018

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Parliament of Uganda is set to return from recess tomorrow July 11 but the controversial mobile money and social media taxes will not be up for discussion.

Ugandans, including some members of parliament – Robert Kyagulanyi; Kyadondo East, Adeke Anna Ebaju; Youth Eastern MP, NRM’s Patrick Nsamba, Gerald Karuhanga, Allan Ssewanyana – had last week petitioned to the Speaker to revisit the tax debate.

MPs Gerald Karuhanga, Robert Ssentamu, Maurice Kibalya and Herbert Ariko to trigger process to recall Parliament from recess to reconsider the Tax Laws.
They particularly want Parliament to amend the Excise Duty Act 2018 to remove #SocialMediaTax & #MobileMoneyTax pic.twitter.com/az580Iah5U

— Parliament of Uganda (@Parliament_Ug) July 4, 2018

However, according to tomorrow’s order paper, the taxes will not be up for discussion.

“Key on the Order Paper is constitution of sectoral committees and receiving the list of Accounting Officers,” a parliamentary statement reads.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had assured petitioners from Makerere University Guild and the Mobile Money Association that the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act would be revisited on Wednesday.

Experts have offered to meet the relevant parliamentary committees to offer ideas on how the government can expand the tax base without stifling economic development and innovation.

If it’s true that the Speaker has re-called Parliament, we need a wider consultative discussion on all the new taxes, not just on the 1% #MobileMoneyTax. I am willing to appear before the Budget Committee to oppose the #SocialMediaTax with empirical facts & figures #ThisTaxMustGo

— Silver Kayondo (@SilverKayondo) July 10, 2018