URA EXTENDS TAX AWARENESS BARAZAS TO ARUA

Some of the community members in a group photo with URA staff

By Godwin Abedican
Arua

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has commenced public barazas in Arua district aimed at creating awareness on tax among the communities in the district with the first held in Ocoko on Friday May 9, 2025.
 
Uganda Revenue Authority has in the Past had conflicts with the public especially during tax enforcements which the tax body has decided to solve by engaging the public in barazas to ensure adequate knowledge about the roles of URA and the responsibilities that the public had towards tax compliance.
 
According to Acadribo valentine Obema the lc1 Dubai village Ocoko parish Arua district, the public has had a very bad image about URA which such engagements when sustained can help the public have a mindset change.
 
“The relationship between URA and the people of Ocoko has not been good. People have been talking ill of URA for chasing them during enforcements. People hear of some members of the public dying during URA operations in the past, with others getting serios injuries. It is a very good idea that URA has come up with such barazas and talk to the people so that what the people think about URA can change. My expectation after this is that, my people will learn and understand how URA works and what is expected of them than looking at the tax body as an enemy yet their work helps in tax collection which is expected translate in to service delivery to us locally,” he explained during the engagement.
 
Bayo Apollo, a business man in Ocoko says that people often feel cheated because no one has come out to talk about the high taxes imposed though he says there is no justification for the bitterness people have towards URA.
 
“The major challenges we face are the high taxes. Currently everything is expensive. Even the business we do now, there are no profits on the items we buy because in the past, it was not like this. I don’t know if its URA that increases the taxes. They need to see people from the grassroots and know how much they have. They can collect taxes to help the country but they need to be considerate of people’s earnings,” Bayo urged.
 
Sanyu Claire, speaking during the engagement at Ocoko in Arua.
 
Meanwhile, according to Claire Sanyu, the supervisor stakeholder relations and engagement at URA for Northern Uganda they intend to use these engagements with the public as a feedback platform to improve on service delivery and relationship with the public for easy and smooth tax mobilization.
 
“We have never had that face to face interaction with them, and so this is one way of explaining to the community what the taxes do for this country. It is good to explain to the people how we arrive at some of these things. We also need to empower the community on what they are required to do before they start a business. Most times people start businesses and face challenges. This is an opportunity for one to know what is it that he or she needs to do in order to have an entry in a specific business.”
 
“I think the engagement and awareness is really going to be very good for the community. So, let’s take advantage, embrace it and support the process. This will go along way in making the community understand their roles as citizens to pay taxes and make working with us easier than working with them when they don’t know that they have a stake in raising taxes for the country,” Sanyu added.
After Ocoko, other engagements are expected to be held at Odia-Nyadri, Ringili and Arivu respectively.