TJAU Members and Other Stakeholders Meet to Discuss Current Issues regarding the status of DRM in the East African Community.
Last year, CSOs under the Tax Justice Alliance Uganda (TJAU) met and developed a position paper on the key issues regarding the state of Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) in the East African Community. This paper was shared with policymakers at the national and the East African Community level.
On Thursday 14th and 15th of July 2022, SEATINI Uganda and the Tax Justice Alliance Uganda with support from Diakonia held a stakeholder meeting to consolidate and give a fresh context to the issues that had earlier been developed.
Mr Herbert Kafeero, the Programs and Communications Manager at SEATINI Uganda in his welcome remarks noted that following the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are devising mechanisms towards reviving their economies to thrive.
He stressed that, ‘‘DRM has become an even more crucial agenda for Uganda and other EAC countries than ever before.’’
Mr. Kafeero, also said that promoting mutual benefit for all East African Countries will not happen automatically. As civil society, we must advocate for policies around Domestic Resource Mobilization and other areas so all parties can benefit equally.
Mr Chris Nkwatsibwe the Coordinator – Civic Space and Governance at the National NGO Forum noted that even though the community has moved to a common market, countries are still holding on to full sovereign power and this has prevented economic harmonization across the region.
Mr. Mbazira Henry, the Executive Director of Water Governance Institute, said that partner countries of the community should be made aware of what they are losing by not ratifying particular provisions of the East African Community laws. This would encourage them to ratify the given provisions.
Ms. Peninnah Mbabazi, Debt and Aid Policy Analyst at SEATINI Uganda encouraged East African countries to pass loan contraction and approval policies. This is because debt threatens economic convergencies as different partner members have different fiscal rules.
Ms. Reginah Navuga a Tax Policy expert noted that these resolutions will be shared with the speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and later with the assembly of EALA.
