KAMPALA- As the general elections draw nearer, the government has allocated 6Bn f to office of the president for the presidential swearing in ceremony which will take place in May next year.
Appearing before the presidential affairs committee, the Secretary in the Office of the President Haji Yunusu Kakande and Presidency Minister Milly Babirye Babanda defended the appropriation as the Ministry is mandated to oversee the invitations and arrangements for this crucial function.
Presidential and parliamentary elections will take place between January and February 2026, with nominations for those interested in Presidency and Parliamentary seats slated for September and October this year.
Kakande says the funds are inadequate although the figure sounds ambiguous. It should be remembered that the proposed budget for the office of the president stands at 347.5bn
Relatedly, the Government has proposed to increase taxes on cigarettes and beers manufactured from local raw materials with the aim of raising 19.40billion shillings.
Government has been under pressure from players in the health sector to have the tax on tobacco increased so as to curb smoking in Uganda.
The revelation has been made by Henry Musasizi, Minister of State for Finance, while appearing before Parliament’s Finance Committee to present the seven Tax Bills.
Government is seeking to increase excise duty on beer manufactured from local raw materials from the current 650/= to 900/=, saying the increment is intended to reflect on the current economic conditions and inflation.
The Ministry of Finance has also proposed the introduction of an import declaration fee on goods imported for home use to generate and the aim is to generate 79billion shillings which funds will go towards the construction of the Standard Gauge Railways.
Government has also moved to streamline the penalties governing Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System by dropping the 6millionshillings fine imposed on non-compliant taxpayers, and instead have the traders pay twice the amount of tax they owe.
