Kampala traders have agreed to reopen their businesses after meeting with President Museveni.

Museveni has this Friday met and held discussions with the leadership of traders in Kampala and upcountry districts at State House Entebbe.

The meeting followed a strike by traders who closed their businesses, expressing their discontent against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)’s implementation of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS).

The discussions mainly centred on the taxation levied on their businesses, especially the EFRIS system.  

The traders had expressed concern that EFRIS presents several challenges, notably: it imposes a high cost of compliance; most traders don’t understand the system; and it applies to all traders irrespective of whether they are VAT registered or not.

During the meeting, the President informed the traders that he will meet the technocrats from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and URA on the 24th, April 2024 for wider consultations.

According to a statement from State House, the President also noted that he will then meet with all the traders on 7th May 2024 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

President Museveni further directed that “all penalties should be suspended by the URA for the meantime to give room for wider consultations.”

The leaders of the traders agreed to reopen their businesses as they continue to consult further with the government.

The traders commenced their strike, which has seen the majority of shops in downtown, closed since 08 April 2024.

The delegation of 61 leaders was led by Mr. John , Kabanda, the leader of the Federation of Uganda’s Traders Associations (FUTA) and Dr. Thaddeus Musoke Agenda, the leader of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA).

The meeting was also attended by Mr. Issa Ssekito, the Spokesperson of KACITA. 

By Chimpreports