KAMPALA – The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has summoned Finance minister Matia Kasaija to apologise to Parliament over statements the minister made in regards to the controversial Mobile Money tax.
The visibly irritated Speaker was reacting to a.concern from an MP who said it was troubling that after they followed due process in passing the Bill into an Act, the line.minister took to radio and disowned the very Bill his ministry brought to Parliament, thus making Parliament look bad in the eyes of the public.
The Speaker of Parliament asked Mr Kasaija to appear before the House tomorrow, Thursday July 12 and withdraw his statements with an apology.
Mr Kasaija, last week said the one per cent tax on Mobile Money passed by Parliament is different from what Cabinet and the ruling NRM party caucus had initially agreed upon.
Mr Kasaija said they had recommended a 0.5 per cent tax on Mobile Money but he was surprised Parliament approved a different rate of 1%, which was.passed.when he was away.
“I am not aware that Parliament has approved 1% tax on Mobile Money. I apologise for that because it contradicts what we agreed on in Cabinet. What we agreed on was a half of 1%. I will ask the responsible officer how 1% tax on Mobile Money was approved,” Mr Kasaija told journalists at the Finance Ministry headquarters in Kampala.
He also said the tax was initially intended to be levied on Mobile Money agents because that is where revenue is, not on money transactions as passed by Parliament.
