The Ministry of Defense was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Uganda’s resource envelope having received 1.8 trillion in the running Financial Year 2017/2018. However, apart from merely being on the receiving end, it was important to note that the Ministry also contributed to the country’s tax base by remitting taxes to Uganda Revenue Authority. URA was mandated to collect all tax and none tax revenue to finance Uganda’s Finance Budget. In so doing, URA undertook a number of activities to mobilize the public and the business community to better understand and fulfill their tax obligations. This was the basis for the annual Taxpayers Appreciation Week where compliant taxpayers were appreciated. The Permanent Secretary Rose Byengoma said it was after all in ensuring peace by the UPDF, Remitting Pay as You Earn and through its commercial arm of the National Enterprise Corporation where they indulged in construction and making of Uzima water, they contributed taxes to the National Resource Envelope. “And NEC Uzima pays taxes through NEC, there is also NEC Katonga; this is Katonga farm and right now NEC will be supplying animals for slaughter so they are fattening them at Katonga farm and they will be supplying to one of the abattoirs which are recently set up an Egyptian abattoir.” Said, Rosette Byengoma – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defense.

The Ministry also remits none tax revenue to Uganda Revenue Authority. “Some other equipment which is auctioned, we bought them off and we earned some revenue from those items and those we remit to URA as none tax revenue. And apart from that, we have also leased Ministry assets like land whereby we have allowed like these telecommunication companies to host their masts and whatever revenue is collected from there is also remitted as none tax revenue to URA. We also collect money from the use of Kololo Airstrip.” Said the PS, Ministry of Defense.

This year’s Taxpayers Appreciation Week would run under the theme; APPRECIATING UGANDA’S TAXPAYER: THE NEXUS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND TAX COMPLIANCE. The Ministry of Defense allocations and expenditures had over the years been questioned. “And recruitment takes a lot of money, you recruit, you train and at the same time you have to pay wages or salaries to all the personnel that you’ve under the UPDF.” It is not merely about the basics of afford transport but the UPDF needs sophisticated equipment to protect Ugandans. Without revealing how much is spent, Byengoma said these were well accounted for. “All sorts of equipment from the hard-skinned equipment, the helicopters, you have jets, you have all that equipment that air force uses, all those. You have all the guns that they use, the ammunition, all that is part of the money that is being emitted by the Ministry of Defense over its budget.”