KAMPALA – The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has launched a new system that is intended to monitor all people coming into the country by air so as to explore the possibility of taxing them.
Dubbed ‘Global Travel Assessment System’ the new software will require airlines to provide data about all travelers coming into the country and what they are carrying so as to gauge whether they are subject to tax.
Speaking at the launch of the system at the URA headquarters in Nakawa, Kampala on Monday, January 27, 2020, the URA Commissioner for Customs, Mr Dicksons Kateshumbwa, said the country has been losing a lot of revenue through many people coming with goods that are not taxed.
“Many people have been coming in through the airport and come with goods, get checked in and carry the luggage without paying taxes. This system will enable us to manage information in advance of everyone coming into the country,” he explained.
Under the system, Mr Kateshumbwa said URA will work with all airlines to provide passport details of all their passengers 15 minutes into their journey and the same will be relayed to the tax body system for easy monitoring.
“We will work with airlines to get pre-arrival passenger manifests which detail who is coming, the type of cargo they are carrying, the weight and movements so that we analyse the data in time. When you arrive it will be able to know what you have and determine the appropriate tax or if you have no taxable goods,” he said.
