The founder of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye, has cautioned the business community against meeting President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni regarding the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solutions (EFRIS), that is being enforced by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and other related issues, saying that his government is the main problem and therefore, he will not be of help to them.
Besigye said that traders should not think that meeting President Museveni will solve their challenges; however, they should team up and continue to push their interests in the business sector.
He noted that traders should not meet Museveni because his government is the problem, stating that one cannot meet a problem to solve a problem.
“For Ugandans to benefit from business in a meaningful and sustainable way, there has to be a change in the regime. This is why I invite the business community and all elements of organized groups in our country to link up, and we say enough is enough,” Besigye said.
Besigye made the remarks while addressing the media at FDC offices on Katonga Road, plot 10 in Kampala, on Monday, April 15, 2024.
Besigye blamed the government for what he called unfair taxes introduced on traders by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and urged the traders operating in Kampala city to continue the pursuit of tax justice from the government and URA.
According to Besigye, the Ugandan government has been intentional in influencing unfair taxes in the country’s economy to raise revenue, which has been allegedly mismanaged by corrupt officials.
“So the crisis is much bigger than just taxes on these items, and of course, the women and men paying these taxes are aware that the taxes are not applied for their services but are handed over to government officials for trips,” Besigye said.
This comes at a time when the traders operating in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, threatened to protest again against the alleged unfair taxation system, Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solutions (EFRIS), that has been enforced by the Uganda Revenue Authority. Currently, traders have threatened to stage a second phase of protest on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
However, the chairman of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Dr. Tadius Musoke Naggenda, while speaking to the members of the press on Sunday, April 14, 2024, called off the strike, noting that there have been positive engagements with the government and that they have planned a meeting with Museveni to discuss the EFRIS and other challenges faced by the traders.
