With an ambitious target of collecting 15.2 Trillion shillings for the Financial Year, Doris Akol the Commissioner General of URA was optimistic that the revenue body would hit it. “...and we think that we are on course towards our target of 15.2 Trillion shillings by the end of the Financial Year. We have also put in place a lot of strategies this year where we expect to recruit more taxpayers and also to improve the compliance of taxpayers in certain areas like in the rental area and here I would like to appreciate Kampala Capital City Authority who have provided us with significant information on the location addressing of a number of our landlords and now, we are able to trace them because of the addressing system that they have put in place.”

However, she shared her concerns over the lack of capacity in the customs department. “For verification of goods that a client has imported; when these containers come, they are loaded with goods and one way of finding out what is in the container to compare with what is in the documents is by opening them and taking out the material that is packed in those containers. It is a tedious process and because of the numbers that we have, we are unable to open all the containers.” In his reply, the Finance Minister Matia Kasaija said the URA query had already been settled. “Madam, we give you all the support. I promised her, I will give her all the money but that money should be translated into more taxes. She has asked me for more money, I have given to her to bring scanners.” The free event to all brought together top government officials to explain how public resources are spent.