3.8 million Citizens Sign against MPs Tax Exemption

A campaign against a move to exempt Members of Parliament from paying tax on their allowances has so far raised 3.8 million signatures from 78 districts across the country.

The campaign masterminded by Uganda Youth Network (UYONET), Action Aid and the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group-CSBAG targets a minimum of 5 million signatures to facilitate a petition against the proposal embedded in the Income Tax amendment Bill 2016.

Fredrick Kawooya, the policy and campaign manager at Action Aid is optimistic that additional signatures will be secured in the course of next week before the petition is forwarded to the President. The aim is to convince him not to assent to the bill. He says most of the signatures are ready but only require collection from the various parts of the country.

Kawooya states that the signature collection drive has been met with enthusiasm in all parts of the country. He says parliament needs to refrain from decisions that are going to cost the economy of Uganda.  Kawooya adds that Uganda is losing billions of Shillings in tax exemptions.

//Cue in: “As we talk we….

Cue out:…….from our taxes”//

Kawooya adds that members of civil society organizations will challenge the decision before the courts of law, if President Yoweri Museveni assents to the bill.

Ali Kaviiri, the policy advocacy and engagement officer at UYONET says that the signatures are only one of the methods they are using to ensure that the actions of the MPs are challenged. He adds that if the signatures fail to work they will mobilize the youth to stage protests at parliament.