Parliamentarians sitting on the National Economy Committee were on Wednesday shocked when one of their members disclosed that there is a group of “mafias” in an illegal tax collection racket in the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) who he said levy undue taxes on imported goods exempted from paying tax.
The disclosure was made by Busia Municipality MP, Geoffrey Macho in a reaction to a report by Chin Piy Te, an executive of the Oil Palm Buvuma Ltd (OPBL), when the committee members were inspecting the OPBL nucleus centre in Busamuzi sub-county, Buvuma district.
Earlier while narrating hardships encountered by the OPBL in its activities, the General Manager Chin said that besides the uncompleted compensation of landlords and bibanja holders who sold their land to the project way back in 2010, there is the problem of high taxes imposed for importation of fertilizers, which he said in the long run it is to be felt by the small holder palm growers.
Elaborating, Chin said, “We have had no problems dealing with locals in Buvuma and Kalangala save for landowners and bibanja holders compensation which has not been forthcoming despite many promises from the top, in addition to taxes on imported fertilizers”.
Chin also said that life has been rendered very difficult to islanders because in addition to the unpaid compensation, they have been chased from the lake by the army where they used to catch ‘mukene’ for food and for cash, and that today many of their children have not returned to school for the final term.
The GM further told committee members that acquisition of the extra 2,476 hectares for expanding the nucleus garden to a tune of 5000 hectares as agreed between OPBL and government has been rendered impossible owing to the unsettled land compensation.
OPBL’s Chin presenting before the MPs.
Macho almost immediately shot up, took the floor, and disclosed that President Museveni ordered the lifting of some agricultural imports including palm oil fertilizers, and those in URA levying taxes on these products are ‘mafias’.
“There is a group of Mafias in the URA collecting illegal taxes, and the President is aware of them and that is why he keeps sacking URA officials and replacing them with those considered to be upright,” he said.
He added soldiers have chased fishermen from catching ‘mukene’ for food and for sale, and blamed this on unnamed people whom he said do not differentiate between ‘mukene’ and immature fish because they do not eat fish in their cultures.
“Government spies are here amongst us and I want them to hear this”, he said without elaborating.
Buvuma RDC Jackeline Birungi and her deputy Patrick Mubiru were both in attendance. Contacted over the delayed compensation to landowners and bibanja holders, RDC Birungi confirmed the matter and added that this issue had in the last round of elections cost the NRM many votes in Buvuma, and prayed that this time round, the government does all within its power to settle the debts.
MP Macho reacting.
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