| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1991; 34 years ago (1991) |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Uganda |
| Headquarters | URA House,Nakawa,Kampala,Uganda |
| Employees | 2,900+ (2015)[1] |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | Uganda Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development |
| Website | www |
TheUganda Revenue Authority (URA) is a government revenue collection agency established by theParliament of Uganda. Operating under theMinistry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the URA is responsible for enforcing, assessing, collecting, and accounting for the various taxes imposed inUganda.[3]
URA's headquarters is located in a 22-storey skyscraper, known asUganda Revenue Authority House (URA Tower), located at Plot M 193/4 Kinnawataka Road, Nakawa Industrial Area, in theNakawa Division ofKampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[4][5] The site is about 6.5 kilometres (4 mi), by road, east of the city center.[6] The coordinates of the agency's headquarters are 0°19'48.0"N 32°37'10.0"E (Latitude:0.330000; Longitude:32.619444).[4]
Allen Kagina was charged with eliminating corruption in the URA when she was appointed Commissioner General in 2004.Minister of InformationRose Namayanja said, "Under the leadership of Ms Allen Kagina, we have successfully cleaned URA and tax collections on a year-to-year basis have gone up. The situation is not as bad as it used to be." According to theDaily Monitor, this view was shared by thepresident of Uganda.[7]
In 1991, when URA was established, tax collection was 6.83% ofGDP, amounting to UGX:133 billions. In 2015, taxes collected were 13% of GDP, amounting to UGX:11.2 trillion. URA targets to increase tax collection to at least 16% of GDP by 2020.[8]
On 29 March 2020, the President of the Republic of Uganda H.E. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed John Musinguzi Rujoki as Commissioner General. He replaced lawyerDoris Akol who was appointed on 27 October 2014 by then Ugandan Finance MinisterMaria Kiwanuka.[9] Allen Kagina who served at the helm of the URA for two consecutive five-year terms prior to Doris Akol before retiring.[10] To accommodate the majority of its staff in one location, URA built a 22-storey tower adjacent to its headquarters at Nakawa, completed in 2018,[11] and officially commissioned in January 2019.[12]
The table below illustrates the Commissioner Generals of the authority since its inception in 1991.[13]
| Rank | Commissioner General | From | Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Larbi Siaw | 1991 | 1997 | [13] |
| 2 | Elly Rwakakooko | 1997 | 2000 | [13] |
| 3 | Stephen Besweri Akabway | 2000 | 2001 | In Acting capacity[13] |
| 4 | Annebritt Aslund | 2001 | 2004 | [13] |
| 5 | Allen Kagina | 2004 | 2014 | [13] |
| 6 | Doris Akol | 2014 | 2020 | [13] |
| 7 | John Musinguzi Rujoki | 2020 | present | [13] |
The government agency is supervised by a seven-person board of directors, who are appointed by the Ugandan minister of finance.[14] As of June 2020, the table below illustrates the composition of the URA Board of Directors.
| Rank | Namel | Role | Other Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juma Kisaame | Chairman | Former CEO ofDFCU Bank | [2] |
| 2 | John Musinguzi Rujoki | Commissioner-general | [15] | |
| 3 | Patience Tumusiime Rubagumya | Board Secretary | URA Commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs | [16] |
| 4 | Ramatham Ggobi | Secretary to Treasury | Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance | [14] |
| 5 | Helen Awidi | Member | [14] | |
| 6 | Loy Tumusiime | Member | [17] | |
| 7 | Michael Wamibu | Member | [14] |
00°19′48″N32°37′10″E / 0.33000°N 32.61944°E /0.33000; 32.61944