The Uganda Revenue Authority’s Commissioner General, John Rujoki Musinguzi, was on Thursday, July 20, 2023, awarded the prestigious Always Be Tolerant Organization (ABETO) Africa Award, a coveted recognition accorded to people who greatly impact on their countries.

While presiding over the award ceremony, the Minister for Gender Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi, said that the awardees are people of great integrity that are being honored for their personal efforts in national development.

“You have been judged, analyzed and your work has been found to be fair by giving equal opportunities to all persons. You have contributed to the co-existence and tolerance,” Amongi said.

However, the founder of ABETO, Moses Musana commended Musinguzi for greatly changing the trends of revenue collection and remittance in Uganda.

“Musinguzi is being awarded this year because of the great impact of his leadership at URA in spearheading the team towards achieving Uganda’s economic independence. As ABETO, we recognize your great efforts,” Musinguzi noted.

The ABETO initiative was founded in 1995 following the call of the Queen of England in Harare for tolerance. Later, in 2009 the initiative kick started the ABETO Africa Peace Award aimed at recognizing the role of Pan African leaders.

In his speech, Musinguzi dedicated the award towards the tax collectors of Uganda for their willingness to fully embrace the responsibility to grow Uganda.

“I appreciate and humbly accept this award. In the last three years at URA, we have registered revenue increment in 3 digits. Over the last financial year alone, we grew revenue collection by 16.7%, that is about UGX 5Tn and we are still doing more,” Musinguzi said.

Musinguzi added, “All this was done without introducing new taxes but rather broadening the tax base. With tolerance and peace, URA is going to further increase the number of tax payers so that everyone can contribute their share of tax to Uganda.”

He said, “I dedicate this award to the gallant men and women of the URA for putting in the much needed efforts to ensure that the work is done.”

Some of Africa’s leaders who were among the first recipients of this award are Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa in 2009, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda in 2010, and the former President of Tanzania, Julius Mwalimu Nyerere.

The other ABETO Africa Award recipients from Uganda this year are, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development-Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, the Consul of Namibia to Uganda-Geoffrey Kirumira Kalule, the Director of Public Prosecutions-Lady Justice Francis Abodo, the National Environment Management Authority Executive Director-Dr. Babilega Akankwasa, Uganda’s leading biomedical scientist-Dr. Charles Kiyaga and the Uganda Prisons Commissioner General-Dr. Johnson Byabashaija.