By Rogers Wanambwa 

KIU, Main Campus - The Ministry of Finance has signed a deal with RippleNami Inc, an American firm, giving it the right to start collecting rental tax in Uganda. 

Uganda Revenue Authority, which has been the agency doing this job has resisted this move since 2018 when President Yoweri Museveni recommended the firm to help it in collecting the tax. 

“I’m, therefore, now directing all the obstructers that the necessary agreements in the matter must be signed by 18:00hours, Tuesday, the 27th of November, 2018. Failure to implement this on the dot will attract decisive actions from me," the president issued a directive to the Minister of Finance in 2018.

As it is, almost two years later, last week on Friday, 5 June, the Ministry of Finance in a press release announced that RippleNami Inc had been contracted to  deal with the “massive tax evasion and concealment of rental taxes."

The deal was signed by Betty Kasimbazi, the Under Secretary at the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the government while Farouk Awad, Director for Operations Africa signed on behalf of RippleNami Inc as minister Matia Kasaija witnessed the signing ceremony. 

For a seamless integration of the firm into the tax collection job, John Musinguzi Rujoki, the URA Commissioner General said URA will work closely with the Ministry of Lands, and other agencies like NIRA, KCCA, URSB. 

RippleNami Inc is expected to start its mandate on 1st July this year and it will be earning 30 percent of tax revenues collected   

Picture credit: RippleNami