Government has challenged newly recruited Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) staff to prioritise integrity, fairness and professionalism as the country intensifies efforts to increase domestic revenue collection and reduce dependence on borrowing.
Finance Minister Henry Musasizi said restoring taxpayer confidence should be central to revenue administration, arguing that URA officers have a responsibility beyond simply collecting taxes.
Musasizi made the remarks during the pass-out ceremony of 174 newly recruited URA staff who completed a one-month leadership training at the Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership.
“Every interaction with a taxpayer is an opportunity to build trust in URA and in Government,” Musasizi said.
He urged the new officers to responsibly use the authority, information and resources entrusted to them, saying revenue collection must be grounded in fairness and professionalism.
“Your role goes beyond collecting revenue. You have a responsibility to help build a culture in which Ugandans understand that paying taxes is part of building the country we all want,” he said.
The call comes as Government seeks to raise Uganda’s tax-to-GDP ratio from about 14 percent to at least 20 percent, a move intended to generate more resources for development while reducing reliance on borrowing.
“Uganda’s economy has grown to Shs 250.4 trillion, but our tax-to-GDP ratio remains at about 14%. We must strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation and raise this to at least 20% to finance our development without excessive dependence on borrowing,” Musasizi said.
The Minister also urged the new staff to embrace technology and continuous learning, reminding them that their training marked the beginning of greater responsibility rather than its completion.
“As you receive your certificates today, remember that this is not the destination, but the beginning of a greater responsibility,” he said.
Representing Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Joint Staff Political Commissar Maj Gen Henry Matsiko linked effective revenue mobilisation to national security, saying stronger domestic revenues would support the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
“Successful revenue mobilization and protection is a force multiplier for UPDF, because this way we are guaranteed of adequate budget support to enhance force capacity,” Matsiko said.
He called for broader support for domestic revenue mobilisation, including from the security establishment.
“Once URA thrives and succeeds, we equally benefit and also domestic efforts of mobilizing internal sources must be supported by everyone, including UPDF,” he said.
Matsiko further called for tougher supervision and discipline in public institutions, saying the Government was taking a harder stance against corruption and poor performance.
“No more sleep, no more corruption, no more laziness and no more politeness on the side of supervisors. It is not going to be business as usual,” he said.
He urged the new URA staff to protect collected revenue as part of safeguarding Uganda’s sovereignty, while maintaining discipline and ethical conduct in their work.
URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi Rujoki revealed that the authority has recruited 2,092 staff over the last three years, with 1,887 already undergoing mindset-change training.
Of these, 708 were trained at the Oliver Tambo School of Leadership, 817 at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) Kyankwanzi and 362 at the ESO Garuga.
“We strongly believe this is one of the best trainings that anyone before they work with us must have to understand the needs of our country,” Musinguzi said.
He assured Government that URA remains committed to achieving the 20 percent revenue-to-GDP target.
Acting Commissioner of the Tax Academy Emmanuel Bichetero said the ideological training was designed to instil public-service values before the recruits undertake technical tax training.
“When you return, we expect renewed purpose and responsibility. You are no longer just new staff in URA. You are now members of the URA workforce,” Bichetero said.
