GREATER BUSHENYI CIVIL SOCIETY REJECTS 1 %MOBILE MONEY TAX

By Wilber Muhwezi Kasibante
www.mknweslink.com
In Bushenyi
Ankole Civil Society Forum in conjunction with Civil Society Advocacy Budget Group Bushenyi has today openly opposed the 1% mobile money proposed tax on every transaction.
The civil society activists Apollo Lee Kakonge ,the Chief Executive Officer of the Civil society,Muhwezi Elly from Mbarara Civil Society Forum, Paul Kahigi the Bushenyi district FDC chairman and Pison Mugizi a political activist held a press conference at the West Ankole Civil Society headquarters in Bushenyi to condemn government for taxing mobile money which is used by the majority poor.
Mr.Kakonge noted that in other developed countries, paying tax is voluntary because the money collected does productive activities in the communities of the tax payers.
He added that however in Uganda, there are some many taxes but they are misused trough corruption, bribery, nepotism instead of productive activities like infrastructural developments.
Kakonge said that so far 160 members of parliament including Arinda Gordon MP Bushenyi- Ishaka municipality have vowed not to accept the 1%mobile money tax that is to be levied beginning 1st July 2018
Pison Mugizi noted that the government should put taxes on luxuries such as betting beer, pool table other than levying tax on commodities that are crucial to a local person.
Paul Kahigi said that the tax holidays of over 200 billion shillings that have been offered to foreign countries should be stopped immediately.
He explained that this will help the government to raise the money it wants from taxing mobile money.

Elly Muhwezi on the hand noted that government should tax mobile money float instead of levying 1% on mobile money which will affect people directly.
He added that mobile money employ 60,000 youth and all these will be declared unemployed after the above tax is levied and people decide to keep their money in houses . He said that crime will crop up because thieves will start attacking people in their houses looking for money kept there.
Parliament will soon discuss all the taxes proposed including this one 1% tax levied on mobile money

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