It is that time of the year again, when Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) gets to acknowledging and appreciate taxpayers through a series of activities.
“In recent years URA has implemented this event in a series of activities like Taxpayer visits, the Online Bomba Ya Business Summit, Exhibitions, Corporate Social Responsibility activites that included providing a medical camp by Ministry of Health, among other activities. All this has been carried out in close contact with the public during the month of September. However, this year, URA will not hold the Taxpayers Appreciation Month 2020 in the same design, owing to the unfortunate prevailing Covid-19 restrictions& precautions,” says Ian Rumanyika, Manager Public and Corporate Affairs – URA.
Running under the theme “Celebrating the Taxpayers of Uganda”, URA says this year’s spirit of appreciation and will be implemented as the Taxpayers Appreciation Season (TPAS) that started 13th Oct, 2020.
The TPAS will be delivered mostly through mass media and online communication platforms, and where need be, some of the activities will host less than 50 guests. Some of the activities will include mass online activations, games, Online Bomba Ya Business – Post Covid Summits, Corporate CSRs, and the Taxpayers Appreciation Awards among other activities.
Why the Taxpayers of Uganda?
“Our collective responsibility as a nation of proud people lives in our commitment to the growth and development of our country Uganda, and all of us as its citizens. So, this year, the TPAS will shine a bright light on our true sources of tax revenue from taxpayers across the country and how this revenue has through the years supported economic growth and development,” Rumanyika notes.
This will be done with profound focus on increasing awareness, recognition and sincere appreciation for all dedicated taxpayers per district and their contributions towards national revenue, regardless of their respective localities across the country.
Below are some of the activities for this year’s TPAS and how they will run.
Press Launch: 13th October 2020: The TPAS kicked off with a press launch with selected media houses on 13th October, 2020. The launch was aired on UBC, NBS & NTV as well as URA`s and selected online media platforms countrywide.
Mass Media Communication: 13th Oct 2020 to 15th Dec 2020: Promotion of all the TPAS activities is done on all mass media communication platforms 360 degrees. Recognition of all compliant tax taxpayers in their respective regions and districts, accountability videos from all major sectors will be widely published and aired. Exciting online games will also take center stage on the URA pages in which the public will win exciting gifts e.g. Phones, Shopping Vouchers, hampers, gift sets and so much more. So there will be different online engagements which require the public to participate in and win.
Corporate Social Responsibility Activity- 1st Nov to 30th Nov 2020: URA is carrying out different CSR activities in the different regions countrywide. This is aimed at giving back to the communities and also to resonate with the current Covid-19 climate. All taxpayers that visit key URA offices shall receive a free branded item in appreciation of their contribution to tax revenue.
Online Bomba Ya Business – Post Covid Summits:1st to 30th November 2020: This activity is an online capacity building platform through which URA will deliver online webinars geared at educating and equipping taxpayers with Business insights and knowledge on how to keep their businesses profitable to ensure that businesses sail through the Covid – 19 season with minimum disturbances. These are in 4 series from 1st to 30th November, 2020. These informative summits will take place on 13th, 20th, 27th November and 4th Dec 2020 from 10:00am to 12:00noon.
Celebrating The Taxpayers of Uganda: Starting October URA has brought to light and profiled the best taxpayers per district to heighten taxpayer awareness of their value to this economy. These profiled taxpayers will be pool from which the regional best taxpayers will be then also be selected. The pool of regional best taxpayers will be the one from which the best taxpayers in the country will be selected and awarded on 11th Dec, 2020.
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- List of top 10 compliant taxpayers per district will be published on Monday 16th November, 2020
- List of top 50 compliant Taxpayers in each region will be published on Thursday 19th Nov, 2020
- List of the best in the country will be published on Monday 7th Dec, 2020
Taxpayers Appreciation Day: The taxpayers Appreciation Season will be crowned with an awards ceremony to recognize the top 15 taxpayers in the presence of URA Senior management, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Prime Minister’s Office and the President’s Office. The ceremony will be held at a dinner, held scientifically on 11th December, 2020
The Award categories
Different awards will be given out to respective winners in various categories. The categories include;
Commissioner General`s Awards which focus on partnerships and recognize associates whose partnerships with URA have had a significant impact on the success of URA operations as well as that of its clients during the year. These partnerships stretch from participation in tax sensitization drives to the direct involvement of URA operations.
- Best Strategic Partner -1
- Best Media Partner – 1
- Best Government Ministry/ Department/ Agency- 1
Regional Vantage Awards which recognize 12 compliant taxpayers countrywide by looking at the 6 country regions namely the Central, Western, Northern, West Nile, Mid-Western, South Western and Eastern. They are termed as the ‘Taxation’s Rising Star’ under the small Taxpayers’ and Medium Taxpayer’s. The persons to receive this award have exhibited a high degree of compliance in ensuring timely filing of returns, payment of tax, consistent revenue growth, have provided employment to many Ugandans and are responsive to URA initiatives.
The winners will be from Eastern Region (2), Northern Region (2), Mid-Western Region (2), South-Western Region (2), West Nile Region (2) and Central region (2)
Award Winners will also receive special recognitions from the President of Uganda, The Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development as well as Uganda Revenue Authority.
There are excel Award that are awarded to one Non – Individual entity, this Award recognizes the most compliant taxpayer with significant revenuecontribution during the year to the Government coffers. The receiver of this award registers outstanding growth in revenue contribution and employs a big number of Ugandans, thus contributing greatly to economic development. The recipient of this award is an icon of compliance across all fields.
The Award winners will also receive special recognitions from the President of Uganda, Hon. Prime Minister, The Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development as well as Uganda Revenue Authority.
Taxpayer appreciation culture
Uganda Revenue Authority Taxpayers Appreciation activities are ingrained in URA`s culture as an initiative designed to keep URA woven in the fabric of all Ugandans, but most especially in its taxpaying audience. It is implemented by Uganda Revenue Authority in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and other selected partners every year in the month of September. This month is always dedicated to recognizing and appreciating compliant taxpayers and the promotion of a voluntary taxpaying culture among all Ugandans. The annual event also forms part of the commemoration of the formation of Uganda Revenue Authority which happened on 17th September 1991.
