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The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS ) implementation will remain in full force following President Museveni’s decline the request by traders to have it completely halted. The decision saw traders angrily leave Kololo Ceremonial grounds
At about 3pm President Museveni arrived at Kololo for the planned meeting with traders amidst chants and ululations.Traders reported to the president their issues including, EFRIS , foreigners intervention in their business lines and high import charges among others .In response, the president dispelled the claim that Ugandan taxes are high“It’s true that VAT is paid by the consumers and that’s in order because we need taxes to run your country and if it’s too expensive the buyers will not buy it. If customers are buying it means the tax is manageable. Therefore, I don’t want punishments, I want to educate our people (traders). Shops should not be locked. All shops should be open. I want to know who locked up the shops in spite of my previous order,” he said.
Museveni , also threw jabs at the traders for complaining about investors saying that they are here for the greater good of creation of jobs .
“I tried to check the issue of factory owners vending their goods but what I was told by the factory people is that you refused to sell their products and so, the answer should be for your leaders here, the manufacturers and myself to meet and find out where the problem is, so that we can get a win-win solution. But I can see that in some of your statements there’s some implied conflict.”
Museveni also castigated traders for facilitating high hemorrhage of jobs and revenues. “You want me to allow imported products from other countries that don’t even want our products to be sold in their markets. That’s unnecessary pressure on me. We cannot sell our milk to EU, we cannot sell our sugar, we cannot sell our beef yet our beef tastes better than theirs but they are protecting their beef market. Now you would seem like you’re working for people who are protecting their markets against our products. If you want to sell fashion then pay tax.”On the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution , the president, said the system should be made flexible to payers so that those with cash can pay immediately and those without cash can pay later.”The issue is not whether we should pay the tax but when we should pay the tax. Now I would like to have flexibility, that if you can pay cash pay. If you can’t pay later. Now what if the goods don’t get sold? I would like your leaders to sit with URA people and fine-tune that part and I can entertain you here on June 20, 2024 to tell us how they have fine-tuned that…..(traders heckle)…. Okay, if you don’t want to come back here on June 20 it’s your problem. ”I saw the Efris machine myself and I tried to use it. I think you can learn how to use it. But if you don’t want to use it, they say you can use your smart phone. You don’t have to buy an Efris machine of Shs6 million. What’s the cost of a smartphone!? You can use a smart phone and buy a printer of Shs150, 000 to attach to it. Therefore, I direct URA not to insist on EFRIS machine. The ones who can buy it let them buy, but those who can’t afford it should use alternative means. There should not be any penalties for not buying an EFRIS machines,” Museveni said. This angered some traders that matched out of the tents in protest.“Please listen to what I have to tell you. You won’t threaten me. Listen….I was seated there for two hours listening to what you had to say; whether true or false….”
The president consequently requested traders to re-convene at Kololo Ceremonial grounds on the 20th of June for the final verdict about EFRIS.