The decision presented by the Finance Committee Chairperson Imalingat Gaudence also moves to impose taxes on 15 other untaxed enterprises in Katabi as a way of widening the revenue base.
Katabi town council has unanimously adopted a proposal by the
finance committee to impose a 10,000 shillings tax on casual labourers at the
different landing sites.
The decision presented by the Finance Committee Chairperson
Imalingat Gaudence also moves to impose taxes on 15 other untaxed enterprises
in Katabi as a way of widening the revenue base. These include petroleum products sold to people going to distant
shores, landing fees, parking fees or taxes and boda-boda cyclists among
others.
Jude Makumbi, a member of the finance committee says that casual labourers
especially those who carry people from boats to the mainland will be taxed
after three months.
According to records, there are more than 900 causal labourers
working on landing sites who either load or off load goods on boats.
Makumbi says the imposing of the tax would help the town council
realize its local revenue generations.
//Cue in: “Kino, namba 15 …
Cue out: … eno ye yardstick.”//
Katabi town council chairperson Ronald Kalema indicated that they
project to collect up to 1.5 billion shillings in local revenue.
//Cue in “gavumenti elina okuba …
Cue out: … naye tubeere considerate.”//
The town clerk Paddy Kakumba indicated that there is nothing
illegal about collecting taxes from casual labourers. Kakumba pleaded with the
town council to pass such taxes as one of the mechanisms that would help in
developing the town council.
//Cue in: “ensonga eno, business …
Cue out: … paka omwaaka bweguligwaako.”//
Kakumba says the town council projects to realize up to 54 million
from the tax on casual labourers in the coming financial year 2019/2020.
Ssempiira Livingstone, one of the casual labourers at Kasenyi landing
site wondered why the town council was instituting a tax on people’s energy yet
there is limited government input to improve such people’s standards of living.
After the adoption of the new tax incentives, the town council is
expected to sit and pass the budget of 2.3 billion
shillings.
