M.V Mpungi

The Tax Appeals Tribunal has ordered the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to refund over USD 2.5 million (UGX 9.1 billion) to East Africa Marine Transport Company Limited (EAMT).  The ruling, delivered on April 30, 2025, centered on a disputed Value Added Tax (VAT) charged on the purchase of M.V. Mpungu, the first scheduled roll-on/roll-off freight vessel operating on Lake Victoria. The tribunal found that URA had wrongly levied VAT on the vessel, despite EAMT’s investment being eligible for VAT exemption under Uganda’s laws encouraging strategic sector development. EAMT, a logistics and marine transport company, had committed to invest at least…