Road agency to enforce billboard guidelines
Apr 30, 2009
THE Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) has lifted the ban on the erection of billboards in national road reserves.
By Mikaili Sseppuya
THE Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) has lifted the ban on the erection of billboards in national road reserves.
“We had banned the erection of billboards in national road reserves to work out the right modalities. We established new guidelines, the details of which have been published in the media,†Dan Alinange, the UNRA spokesperson, said while responding to queries on dangerously-erected billboards.
“This time we are going to be very strict on firms that erect billboards to ensure compliance unlike Kampala City Council (KCC).
Billboards are hitting people in the city because KCC only minds about money,†he added.
A billboard suspected to have been poorly erected fell during a downpour, hitting cars on Third Street, Kampala Industrial Area on Monday.
Alinange explained that UNRA supervises national roads, but they were also responsible for junctions like Kibuye and Nakawa and the Northern Bypass.
Last week, UNRA published the conditions under which firms could set up billboards on national road reserves.
Alinange said billboards with social messages like directions to hospitals would be given priority and would not be taxed. Other advertisers will pay sh75,000 to sh2m, depending on the size and period.
Officials in KCC said it was a long story and were then getting the details.
Other sources said it was local government bodies and the Uganda Revenue Authority that were supposed to collect government revenues.
“When for example KCC collects revenue it is for proving services. What do these Central government bodies want to collect which can’t be collected by URA?†they asked.
Other sources said that while billboard advertising is big money especially in towns there is no proper policy for their control resulting in ad hoc measures by different authorities.
THE Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) has lifted the ban on the erection of billboards in national road reserves.
“We had banned the erection of billboards in national road reserves to work out the right modalities. We established new guidelines, the details of which have been published in the media,†Dan Alinange, the UNRA spokesperson, said while responding to queries on dangerously-erected billboards.
“This time we are going to be very strict on firms that erect billboards to ensure compliance unlike Kampala City Council (KCC).
Billboards are hitting people in the city because KCC only minds about money,†he added.
A billboard suspected to have been poorly erected fell during a downpour, hitting cars on Third Street, Kampala Industrial Area on Monday.
Alinange explained that UNRA supervises national roads, but they were also responsible for junctions like Kibuye and Nakawa and the Northern Bypass.
Last week, UNRA published the conditions under which firms could set up billboards on national road reserves.
Alinange said billboards with social messages like directions to hospitals would be given priority and would not be taxed. Other advertisers will pay sh75,000 to sh2m, depending on the size and period.
Officials in KCC said it was a long story and were then getting the details.
Other sources said it was local government bodies and the Uganda Revenue Authority that were supposed to collect government revenues.
“When for example KCC collects revenue it is for proving services. What do these Central government bodies want to collect which can’t be collected by URA?†they asked.
Other sources said that while billboard advertising is big money especially in towns there is no proper policy for their control resulting in ad hoc measures by different authorities.