KAMPALA – Members of Parliament sitting on the finance committee have protested government proposed excise duty increment on fuel prices especially now when the country is facing a pandemic of COVID-19 disease.
The minister of finance Matia Kasaija has Tuesday formally introduced the Tax Bills to the House where its proposing to slap an increment of 150 shillings on both petrol and diesel and then 100 shillings increment on kerosene.
However, the MPs disagreed with government saying by such tax increment will only suffocate the economy that is already struggling because of the shock of coronavirus.
Hatwib Katooto, (Katerera county) noted that its abnormal to increase the price of kerosene when people in the village cannot afford the current one.
Elijah Okupa (Kasiro County) says it is not of any essence to increase prices when the economy is facing trouble, “this will be inserting more burden to it.”
Amos Lugoloobi, (Ntenjeru north) MP suggested that by now, government would be thinking of cutting the budget to finance the crisis instead of putting pressure on it.
He says in a situation of a crisis the country cannot be seen to be raising taxes.
The Agogo district woman MP Akello Franca urged that it was insensitive for government to increase taxes in this period when the fuel pump prices for Uganda in the East Africa region are the highest.
She adds that this will stifle the economy hence urged that the minister to withdraw these measures in the spirit of supporting the economy.
