In an effort to promote traders compliance with the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), the Ministry of Finance has agreed to consider a possible waiver for traders who are currently facing outstanding EFRIS penalties.
The communication was made by the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija, on April 16, 2023, during a meeting with representatives of Ugandan traders with the aim of discussing and resolving a number of issues affecting the traders.
Kasaija asked the Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to submit the list of traders who have outstanding EFRIS penalties to the Ministry of Finance.
During the meeting, the traders raised their concerns, which included the VAT threshold, the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution, import duty tax on fabrics and garments, non-standardized valuation guidelines for goods, anti-competition practices by manufacturers, and the loss of Uganda’s competitiveness as a trade hub for the region, among others.
The Minister of Finance, and the Minister of State for Trade, David Bahati, agreed that the Ministry of Finance will, in the next two weeks, do consultations on the traders proposal to increase the current VAT threshold and the VAT rates.
It was also agreed that URA will establish an office in Kikuubo that will continue with the sensitization of the traders on EFRIS.
“URA will, with immediate effect, establish an office in Kikuubo that is solely dedicated to providing EFRIS support services to all traders and other tax payers,” Kasaija said.
“URA shall continue to implement the EFRIS. However, emphasis shall be placed on sensitizing tax payers to appreciate the EFRIS and also ensuring that it is demystified among all tax payers,” Kasaija added.
In regards to the anti-competition trade practices by manufacturers, Kasaija said the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives will finalize the regulations to implement the Competition Law that was recently endorsed by the President of Uganda.
On April 16, 2024, city traders in Kampala, led by Katongole Godfrey, the Chairman of the Kampala Arcades Traders Association (KATA), requested the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) carry out more sensitization on the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) before they adapt to it.
