EFRIS is here to stay. Goobi tells off protesting Traders

Ramathan Goobi - PSST {Photo credit - file}

By Jose Kabale

The Permanent Secretary, also Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Goobi has assured the traders that the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) is not about to be suspended because it's legal.

Goobi said this during the media brief of the state of economy and the fourth quarter expenditure release for the financial year 2023/2024 at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development conference hall in Kampala today.

Last Monday, business activities in downtown Kampala, particularly in the Kikuubo hub, were disrupted as some traders opted to close their shops in protest over various concerns regarding business concerns that include issues with tax policy and administration, particularly the 18 % VAT imposed on every sold commodity and the enforcement of the electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), which traders allege it lacks sufficient sensitization among the business community.
While speaking at the media briefing about the State of the economy and the fourth quarter expenditure release for the financial year 2023/2024 earlier today, the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury {PSST} of the Ministry of Finance Ramathan Goobi acknowledged that traders are frowning at EFRIS because it shall not give them opportunities of evading taxes. He added that the taxation policy is here to stay to ensure taxation compliance amongst the business community.

"The EFRIS looks at the supply side and the demand side of the entire ecosystem of a transaction, and therefore, I would like to encourage all of us to know that EFRIS has come and it's going to stay to ensure that we know how much we have earned from a transaction and know if it's exactly what we have declared..." said Goobi.

While as he accused Ugandans of assisting foreign investors to establish retail businesses which is contrary to their immigration work permits, Goobi disclosed the government's commitment to deal with the issue.

" We're going to get to the bottom of this with facts, those foreigners who have been vending things through others we have means now of getting them. Because we have beneficial ownership of companies. " Added Goobi.

By press time, this news site learnt that city traders under their umbrella Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) and the Federation of Uganda Traders Association (FUTA) have yet again resolved to protest next Monday. This follows unprecedented cancelation of the meeting between the traders and the President on Friday. However, the Minister for Kampala Capital City Minsa Kabanda, has implored the traders not to protest as she works on new meeting date with the president.

Comments

Traffic Police: roads to be cutoff for motorists' access and preserved for the runners and birthday run participants.

By Jose Ka bale Traffic Police in the Kampala Metropolitan area has issued traffic guidelines ahead of the forthcoming Buganda King birthday run. Road users especially motorists, expect traffic diversions at the following roads, The Ring Road, that surrounds the Lubiri palace. The Kabaka Anjagala road, which connects the palace main gate to the Masengere building or Bulange Mengo. The road that joins Masaka road from Lubiri Ring Road. Mwanga II road. Musajja Alumbwa road. Mengo hill road. Nalongo road junction, the one which joins Lubiri road. Motorists from Entebbe Road to Masaka road will be required to navigate through the city center then connect to Old Kampala. Similarly, motorists from Masaka road will be required to stretch up to Kibuye round about, then proceed to the city center. In the same vein, Arinaitwe implored the participants, and the general public to observe discipline and adhere to the prescribed guidelines for a safe successful event. Meanwhile, the Child and Family

Am not going anywhere! Mpuuga kicks back at Bobi wine

By Jose Kabale KAMPALA - The embattled former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, who doubles as the Nyendo-Mukungwe legislator has finally responded to the demand from his National Unity Platform (NUP) party to step down as the parliamentary commissioner. This follows shocking revelations from the ongoing online exhibition dubbed #TheParliamentExhibition leveling accusations against him for taking part in the designing of a controversial financial scheme in which he pocketed Shs500 millions of taxpayers’ money in the name of "Service award." Ever since this came to limelight, NUP party leadership has undertaken several disciplinary errands against the latter as an attempt clean itself of the act, they considered to be corruption. " As leaders, we advised him to honorably do three things; first, return that money because it's dirty money, number two, to apologize to the nation, and number three; to resign." Said Bobi wine during the launch

Police warns politicians against politicizing Kabaka Birthday Run

Luke Owesigyire {middle} during a security briefing held at Bulange Mengo today. {Photo credit - Jose K} Jose Kabale Ahead of the Buganda Kabaka Birthday run, an event that precedes his birthday, the security agencies have issued various directives to ensure safety of the participants and the public in general. Being a social - cultural event, the KMP spokesperson Luke Owesigyire deemed it imperative to sound a warning to political opportunists to desist from interfering with the event which is a few hours away. “It's imperative to emphasize that the event is a cultural celebration for the kingdom, and we discourage any attempts to politicization.” Said Owesigyire The Kabaka Birthday Run is a highly anticipated event on the Buganda Kingdom’s calendar as it precedes the celebration of the Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, birthday which champions noble causes that resonate with the nationals' affairs. Just like the previous year, this year’s theme, “Men against AIDS to save the

Crested Updates

Search This Blog