The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has warned against the creation of more government units under departments following the creation of the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit by President Museveni.
The party spokesperson, Sharon Arach, stated that the creation of many units doing the same thing can lead to duplication of duties, which leads to collisions and misinterpretations of roles.
“When it comes to monitoring corruption, there are already government bodies in place, such as the Inspectorate of Government, which is charged with zero tolerance for corruption, and the Anti-Corruption Court, whose cardinal role is to take drastic action against the corrupt. This has left us questioning what the other anti-corruption units that are being created will be doing,” Arach stated.
Arach added that the creation of so many units comes at a time when the government is being advised to rationalize its ministries, agencies, and departments to reduce overspending of tax payers’ money.
“By implication, the taxpayers have to tighten their belts as the newly created revenue monitoring unit comes with a cost. The government has to note that our tax policies and tax base present outright challenges to the taxpayer, who is the ultimate source of government revenue,” she added.
Arach said this during the party’s weekly press release that took place on July 10, 2024, at the party headquarters, Uganda House.
This comes after President Museveni created the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit on July 5, 2024, to oversee Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) operations and fight corruption within the tax administration system. The unit will help the government close revenue leakages and boost tax collection.
