Parliament has raised concerns over Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) heavy expenditure on vehicle repairs after the Auditor General revealed that the tax body spent shs6.4 billion on fixing just 61 vehicles over three years.
The matter came up during a plenary sitting as Medard Sseggona the Busiro East MP presented the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) report on the Auditor General’s findings.
According to the report, each of the 61 vehicles cost URA an average of shs77 million in repairs, with one vehicle alone consuming shs106 million.
“The Auditor General established that a total of shs6.4 billion was spent on the repair of motor vehicles for the financial year ended 2023/24,” Sseggona told Parliament.
“On average, shs77 million was spent on repairs for each of the selected vehicles. The highest expenditure on a single vehicle in a year was shs106 million. This points to an old, uneconomical fleet.”
When interfacing with the Committee, URA management defended the costs, noting that most of the vehicles had served between 8–12 years.
They explained that 12 of the 61 vehicles had undergone complete engine overhauls, 21 were deployed in upcountry regions, while 16 were used in enforcement operations.
URA further told MPs that funds amounting to shs6.7 billion were allocated in FY2024/25 to acquire new vehicles.
Procurement for 25 vehicles had reached the contracting stage, awaiting the Solicitor General’s approval. Delivery was expected in December 2025.
The Authority also said that disposal of 38 old vehicles was underway.
However, COSASE raised concerns about procurement delays, recalling the FY2021/22 case where URA procured 132 vehicles, but suppliers took too long to deliver.
“The period taken by suppliers to deliver vehicles is unnecessarily too long. This impacts service delivery since mobility is affected,” Sseggona noted.
Parliament adopted the Committee’s recommendations, directing the URA Commissioner General to fast-track procurement and delivery of new vehicles.
MPs also urged timely disposal of ageing fleets to cut maintenance costs, improve staff mobility, and enhance revenue collection.
