MPs TAX EXEMPTION: KABALE RESIDENTS PETITION MUSEVENI TO SIGN BILL

BY VANANSIO KAKOGOSO

IN KABALE—

Father-Gaetano-Batanyenda

Kick corruption out of Uganda a Civil society organization based
Kabale district has started collecting signatures to appeal to
President Yoweri Museveni not to assent to amendments in the Income
Tax Amendment Bill 2016 in which Members of Parliament voted to exempt
their allowances from tax.

According to the approved budget estimates of 2016/2107 financial
year, the projected expenditure on MPs is 239,590,669,000 shillings.
Of this 178,133,905,000 shillings will be spent on Mps allowances and
61,456,764,000shiilings will be spent on Mps salaries.

Each Mp monthly earns basic salary of 2,600,000 shillings,
constituency allowances of 4,054,000shillings, subsistence allowance
of 8,580,000, Town running allowance of 1,062, 500 shillings mileage
allowances of 11,672, 000shillings and gratuity of 30% of total
earning totaling to 4,888,950 shillings.

The Chairperson Kick corruption out of Uganda Rev Fr Gaetano
Batanyenda says that the decision by the legislators is not only
immoral but unjust. He added that Ugandan legislators already earn far
more than any citizen and are as such obliged to pay taxes.

He says that by exempting themselves from paying taxes, legislators
are proving that they do not care about the welfare of the rest of the
country.  He adds that payment of taxes should be a responsibility of
every citizen, specifically those holding positions of leadership.

The Mayor Kabale Municipality, Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha says that
the public needs to hold a peaceful demonstration to express their
dismay on the decision by Mps.

The bill has been returned to parliament by the President, for the
second time.  According to Article 91(5) of the Constitution, when the
President returns the Bill twice and it is passed for a third time by
parliament, with the support of at least two thirds of MPs, the
Speaker causes a copy of the Bill to be laid before Parliament and the
Bill shall become law without the assent of the President.