Author: Patrick Ocaido

By Our Reporter Members of Parliament were on Tuesday afternoon subjected to roll call vote to pass the controversial mobile money tax. Parliament amended Excise Duty Act, 2014 to limit the taxable mobile money transactions to withdrawal and to reduce the duty payable from 1% to 0.5%. Upon its assent by President Yoweri Museveni, government will implement 0.5% mobile money charge on all withdrawals, unlike the first unpopular amendment which levied 1% tax on all mobile money transactions. In July, Finance minister Matia Kasaija re-tabled the Bill titled “Excise Duty (Amendment) No.2 Bill, 2018” for its 1st reading after it was publicly rejected…

By Our Reporter There was drama during the voting of the mobile money tax Bill when State minister for Lands Isaac Musumba was accused of entering parliament chambers dressed in a ‘night dress.’ Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah presided over the House in a roll call vote where MPs were to decide if to vote for removal of the mobile money tax or reduce it to 0.5% as proposed by the finance committee. During the voting, Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko called minister Musumba to order for dressing in un-parliamentary manner contrary to Parliament Rules of Procedure. Whereas Oulanyah did not…