Former Forum of Democratic Change ( FDC) president, Kizza Besigye has expressed concern over the unfair Uganda Revenue Authority System and the current tax regime said to be pushing traders out of business.
During a press conference he held at his Katongo office over yesterday , Besigye said he Stands in solidarity with the protesting city traders who are treated unfairly with the enforcement of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and invoicing solution ( EFRIS).
“A Ugandan trader is like a cow that is being milked but no fed, they pay VAT, withholding tax, import duties, occupation tax and copyright tax if it’s a hotel industry and may others but the collected funds is not reflected in the needs of the community but pocketed by a few,” Besigye said.
“Traders should not call of the strike or honour any call to meet the president without if their gradiences are not addressed “, he added.
He further disclosed that he will joining the city traders in their ongoing protest against what he referred to as the country’s bad tax regime as he called on other patriotic Ugandans including those in NRM to unite and join him the fight against double taxation being committed by the regime.
“Activist in the NUP, DP, UPC and others should all join us in the struggle to save Ugandan tax payers from the tax burden,” Besigye said.
The traders have spent weeks long on strike protesting the taxman’s enforcement of the electronic receipt to determine applicable taxes.
Traders found dodging the new receipting system risks paying over Shs6 million in fines.
