The proposal has been made by government, state minister for planning, David Bahati, before the Parliamentary Finance Committee recently.

Bahati who was presenting proposed tax amendments for the next financial year 2017/2018 says a majority of land loads in Kampala have a habit of dodging payments for income tax by under declaring their rental charges from the actual charges collected.

“Most of the landlords in this city have resorted to under declaring their rental fees. This is   affecting revenue collections and yet some are charging tenants exorbitant rates. This must stop with the proposed regulations that we intend to implement in the coming financial year 2017/18,” said Bahati.

Bahati says the amendment in the Income tax act will empower the minister of finance and other related agencies like government valuer KCCA, U.R.A to determine the rental charges in Kampala.

Meanwhile, Government has also issued new tax exemptions in the coming financial year 2017/18. As part of his presentation for the six proposed tax amendment bills before the committee, Bahati has also revealed plans by government to wave off exercise duty tax on sugar in the next financial year.

A shopping arcade in the business district of Kampala.Government says some landlords in such shopping mall under declare their rent collections.

Among other items to be exempted include; unprocessed rice for four months, operations of Bujagali power dam up to 2033 which will reduce in power tariffs, aid funded projects and industries in the radius of 50 from the Kampala as a way of decongesting the city.

However, the minister has also revealed that government is to increase taxes on Tobacco, and also restructure the betting taxes which apparently have been at 35% fully paid by appropriators.

In the new tax proposal to betting and lottery, a winner of any bet will pay 15% and the remaining 20% will be catered for the appropriator.

The post Government to crack whip on Kampala landlords who dodge paying taxes first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Museveni inspecting a farmer in Kabale over the weekend.

President Yoweri Museveni has encouraged farmers in the country, who are engaged in crop production, to instill in their minds the culture and practice of growing crops all year around using any improvised means of irrigation scheme to combat drought spells.

“The science of pumping water from a water source to a reservoir at a higher altitude, then pump it to the farm and irrigate the crops with help of solar powered water pump is the way forward for Uganda,” he said.

He observed that once the system is installed, it only requires more solar panels to increase the capacity for extension use to more users.

“The dry season is no longer a problem. Free water is available and people cry over drought season. The dry season is for those who are not enlightened and the uninformed. Even developed countries, which receive minimal level of rain level, have their agricultural practice on irrigation,” he added.

The President was today commissioning a solar water pumping irrigation system at Kyerero village, Nyamihanda Parish near Muhanga Township in Bukinda, Rubanda county, in Kabale district. The system was installed on the farm of Mr. Charles Kwehangaana Rutaro following the President’s pledge in 2010. Farmer Kwehangaana Rutaro grows apples, a variety of passion fruits and other crops on a two-acre piece of land. The enterprise earns him Shs.43 million per year.

The purpose of the installation was to demonstrate applications of solar water pumping as an economical and sustainable option for irrigated agricultural production.

While inspecting the project, President Museveni said that the purpose of his visit to the farm was to assess the effectiveness of solar water pumping irrigation scheme. He, therefore, tasked the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, former NAADS and the Ministry of Water and Environment, to install in the districts of Kabale, Kiryandongo, Masindi, Kaberamaido, Soroti, Katakwi, Kumi, Mukono and Luuka solar water pumping irrigation schemes. He reiterated government’s commitment to distributing more solar water pumps to the people.

“What I wanted to prove was the science behind the cost of locally established irrigation scheme”, he said.

Museveni inspects a farm which uses irrigation in Kabale district.

Addressing rally following the tour, the President told the people of Rukiga County that a good leader is one who guides people to shift away from mass eradication of poverty through modern methods of farming with accountability in mind. He, however, strongly warned them against agricultural practices in wetlands.

He commended the people of Rukiga County for voting the Movement overwhelmingly during the 2016 Presidential, Parliamentary and council level elections saying that this symbolized massive politically uprooting of the opposition from the area.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Vincent Ssempija, State Minister for Planning, Hon. David Bahati and State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations and area MP, Hon. Herbert Kabafunzaki, accompanied the President.

The post Museveni tells farmers in Kabale to irrigate year round to beat drought first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Janet Kataha Museveni, the minister of education and sports, while addressing parliament on Tuesday August 09, 2016 said that one of the demands the of non-teaching staff was for government not to use part of their increment to fund  the new universities.

She said the government has decided to comply with by looking for new alternatives to fund Soroti Lira and Kabale universities.

Some of Makerere University’s non-teaching staff in a recent meeting.

Museveni also assured Parliament that government has started a process to harmonize all salary structure in all public universities by the second quarter taking into account their qualifications as it was requested by the non-teaching staff.

However, this didn’t amuse some of the members of parliament who demanded for the minister to explain where she is going to get the money to fund for the three universities at the same time pay for the arrears of non-teaching staff in all public universities.

State minister for planning, David Bahati informed parliament that government plans to request for a supplementary budget to fund the salaries as they have a provision in the law which allows them to take a surplus of three percent of the national budget.

The post Non-teaching staff at public universities expected to call off strike this week. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.