Uganda Revenue Authority recently held a training at Trinity College Nabbingo to equip tutors from technical institutions with tax knowledge.

The training is part of the rollout of the tax education curriculum in tertiary institutions, which began in the financial year 2021/2022. The curriculum, developed jointly by NCDC and URA, aims to provide future business owners with the knowledge they need to meet their tax obligations.

Officiating the at training, Grace K. Baguma, the Director of NCDC emphasized the goal of the training.

“We are here to develop people who can teach tax to our technical students so that we can move this country to another level,” she said.

She added that tax should become an ingrained part of Uganda’s culture, encouraging voluntary tax compliance.

Baguma reflected on efforts that have been ongoing since 2017 to integrate tax education into various curricula. This includes the development of tax education materials for secondary school O and A levels, with over 7,500 teachers already trained.

The focus now, she said, is on reaching polytechnic institutions, where many future business leaders will emerge.

“We don’t want anybody to run after you for not teaching,” she stated, urging instructors to embrace their role in shaping students’ understanding of tax.

Baguma also disclosed plans to include tax education in primary and even nursery school curricula, promoting awareness from an early age.

Robert Wamala, the Ag. Manager of Tax Education Outreach at URA also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the need to cultivate a culture of voluntary tax compliance.

He highlighted the challenge of mobilizing revenue in Uganda, noting that although the country’s GDP is substantial, tax contributions remain minimal.

“Culture is built through systems,” he said, pointing out that Ugandans living abroad often pay taxes in their countries of residence, yet find it difficult to do the same back home.

The training centred on teaching-learning methods, effective instruction, government revenue, tax administration, tax compliance, and tax computation among others.

Participants were also provided with the URA e-service platform as they navigated the URA website, and its service offering, e-processes such as TIN registration, return filing, payment, and invoicing among others.

By instilling a tax-compliant culture in future business leaders, the NCDC and URA hope to foster a more responsible and sustainable economy, with improved tax collection.

By Joshua Niyonshima

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