CSOs Task Government to Strengthen the Tax System to Reduce Income and Gender Inequalities

According to the third Fair Tax Monitor Report 2021 launched by Oxfam in Uganda and SEATINI- Uganda in collaboration with Tax Justice Alliance Uganda, SOMO, FEMNET and Tax Justice Network Africa, Uganda’s excise duty regime has a degree of progressivity. The top richest households pay more excise duty as a percentage of their consumption than the bottom poor households. However, in some cases, excise duties are regressive because they are usually flat rated, affecting low-income earners more – especially women, who spend a higher portion of their income on household items. The third Fair Tax Monitor report was launched on 13th April 2022 under the Fiscal Justice for Women and Girls in Africa project co-funded by the European Union.

While giving her remarks, Ms Jane Nalunga, the Executive Director at SEATINI- Uganda said, “Despite the government’s efforts to increase women representation in fiscal policy formulation, public participation is still weak and low at 22%, according to the International Budget Project (IBP) 2019 Open Budget Survey.” She called for an increase in Public Tax Education to empower citizens to shape transparency and accountability in Uganda.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Mr Francis S. Odokorach, Oxfam in Uganda Country Director, said, “Tax systems are, globally, seen as putting women at the margins, and not just in terms of the how taxes affect income, wealth, and behaviors directly. They are not designed in a way that gives sufficient attention to the net effect that tax and spending systems combined, both on paper and in practice, have on the immediate needs or strategic priorities that underpin gender inequalities.”

Hon. Henry Musasizi, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic development acknowledged the practical recommendations presented by the Fair Tax Monitor report and committed that the Ministry of Finance will adopt some of the recommendations.