URA takes tax education to Rukungiri students

In a bid to cultivate a taxpaying culture among the young generation , URA recently held an interactive session with students at Kinyasano Girls Secondary School and Blessed Vocational Secondary School, in Rukungiri district, on the role of taxes in driving development.

Isaac Aijuka, the Ag. Supervisor for Tax Education in South-Western Uganda, provided detailed instructions on business registration, taxation principles, taxpayer rights and obligations, and best financial management practices for small-scale ventures.

He emphasised that while Uganda secured its political independence in 1962, Uganda is still dependent on foreign aid thus the need for Ugandans to pay tax.

He urged learners to support their parents in formalising businesses and maintaining records.

“Each one of us has to contribute fairly to national development through taxation,” Aijuka told the students, encouraging them to adopt entrepreneurial projects such as chicken or rabbit farming, and embed themselves in the monetary economy to reduce dependence.

During the dialogue, learners learnt how tax revenue is used. They also raised issues of service delivery, and how principles like fairness and equity should underpin taxation systems.

At Kinyasano Girls Secondary School, the Director of Studies, Mr. Nkoba Boaz, praised the URA for engaging youth in the tax culture, asserting that tax education is critical to securing the country’s future.

At Blessed Vocational Secondary School in Kebisoni, Head Teacher Niwagaba Nobert expressed excitement over new O-level and A-level Curriculum books developed by URA in partnership with the National Curriculum Development Center, noting that the materials would enhance learners’ grasp of taxation both for examinations and in real life.