The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has been forced to suspend a meeting with traders in Kampala after security intelligence reportedly revealed plans by some individuals to disrupt the engagement and heckle Commissioner General John Musinguzi. The Tuesday meeting, held at URA headquarters in Nakawa, ended before the authority could hear and respond to the concerns raised by the business community.
URA had convened the meeting to create an opportunity for traders to interact with its leadership and discuss challenges affecting their operations. The planned engagement was expected to address contentious issues surrounding the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), under-declaration of imported goods, the increasing dollar exchange rate and other taxation concerns.
However, preparations for the discussions reportedly took an unexpected turn after intelligence information suggested that some individuals had intentions of turning the engagement into a confrontation. The individuals were allegedly planning to cause disorder and heckle Musinguzi instead of participating in the discussions intended to address traders’ grievances.
To prevent the suspected disruption, URA introduced additional security procedures, requiring all participants to leave their mobile phones with security officers before entering the meeting venue. The authority considered the measure necessary to maintain order and protect the proceedings from possible interference.
The requirement, however, triggered resistance among some participants who questioned why they could not carry their phones into the meeting. Although a number of traders accepted the directive and surrendered their devices, disagreements continued as some individuals reportedly mobilised others to abandon the engagement. The resulting tension eventually forced the meeting to collapse.
The incident left traders divided, with some expressing frustration over the security arrangements while others lost the opportunity to directly present their business concerns to URA officials. A section of the participants later gathered at the authority’s premises to protest the manner in which the engagement had been handled.
URA Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs Robert Kalumba expressed disappointment over the disruption, saying the authority had arranged the meeting to listen to traders and establish solutions to the challenges affecting them. He defended the decision to collect mobile phones, explaining that it was intended to minimise distractions and allow participants to concentrate on the discussions. “It’s disappointing that some so-called traders frustrated the genuine traders to have their issues addressed,” Kalumba said.
Despite the setback, Kalumba assured traders that URA would not abandon its engagement with the business community, promising that another meeting would be arranged. “We are going to have another meeting. These are strategic stakeholders. However, within them exists some bad elements with different intentions,” he said. The authority maintains that dialogue remains important in addressing concerns surrounding EFRIS, taxation and the rising cost of doing business, and is expected to provide another opportunity for traders to engage its leadership.
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