Rédaction Africa Links 24 with NOELINE NABUKENYA
Published on 2024-01-28 12:00:00
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement team recently apprehended four suspects for smuggling Oris Cigarettes in Ssenge village, Naluvule parish, Wakiso Sub County in Wakiso District. The suspects were taken into custody and are currently being held at Jinja Road Police Station as they await court proceedings.
According to Mr. Ibrahim Bbosa, the URA Assistant Commission for Communication and Corporate Affairs, the URA is committed to closing revenue leakages to ensure they meet their obligation of mobilizing enough revenue to finance budget expenditures.
Mr. Bbosa emphasized that the challenges they encounter are often related to people who invest in smuggling, driven by a desire to evade taxes and accumulate wealth. However, he declined to disclose the names of the suspects.
The crackdown on smugglers is an ongoing exercise across the country, with URA paying informers to help uncover individuals engaged in illicit businesses, particularly contraband products such as cigarettes, cooking oil, and textiles.
If convicted under the East African Community Management Act, the suspects face a penalty of paying Shs19 million, which is equivalent to 5000 USD.
Mr. Moses Wanjala Owino, the manager for enforcement operations at URA, revealed that after receiving information about the smuggling, they immediately sealed off the area and conducted a thorough search of the residence where 640,000 sticks of Oris cigarettes were recovered. The cigarettes are believed to have entered the country through porous borders.
Oris Cigarettes are considered illegal due to their flavored nature, lack of health labels indicating potential dangers to consumers, and absence of information regarding their country of origin or proper importation standards. These factors violate URA standards and regulations.
The URA’s efforts to curb smuggling and enforce tax compliance are a crucial part of the government’s strategy to safeguard revenue and ensure a fair and competitive market for legitimate businesses to thrive.
