Speaker urged to investigate tax waiver

The Civil society organization has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament investigate the Illegal tax waiver that was granted by Tullow Oil Company upon the sale of the interests in the exploration. 

 The legal officer at the Action Aid Andre Karamaji said that as civil organisations, they appeal to the Speaker of Parliament to bring to book to review of the oil agreement which were made during the Minister of Energy Hillary Onek in office. The agreements might have lop holes which might have not been seen.

"In addition to the so- called presidential hand shake of Sh. 6bn there should be investigation to see why the Tax tribunal accepted to be paid less money that what had been agreed by the Court".

 According to the communication in the   petition, civil organization demand to have greater transparency in the oil contracts and any other related transitions.

"It is extremely important that the committee interests itself in the understanding why a memorandum of understanding signed by government to be considered of a private matter

Addressing a press conference at the ActionAid headquarters in Kampala today 21 Feb 2017.

 "We would like the committee to address itself to the actions by Uganda Revenue Authority in entering the consent judgement which the Authority had won $ 407m dollars. But instead Uganda was paid $ 250m", Said Karamaji.

 He said that a total of $ 157m was not paid to the Uganda government and its not mention why. He question why government agreed to be settled out of Court with less amount of money.

James Muhindo from the Global rights organization urged the Constitutional Court to   come up with law to define how costs should be awarded and any other arbitration. He said that a lot of taxes might have been received from abroad without being disclosed from other companies.

Grace Kobusigye Uganda Debt Network said that the money spent for the Presidential hand-shake should have been given to the   suffering people