Over 100 graduate from East African School of Taxation

EDUCATION | TAXATION | REVENUE

KAMPALA - More than one hundred professionals from different fields recently graduated in tax and revenue administration from the East African School of Taxation in Kampala at a function held at Silver Springs Hotel.

Godfrey Akena, the Director East African School of Taxation congratulated the graduands for completing their course despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a very special day for us as a school, the students, the lecturers and everybody connected to this school. We have gone through a lot of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic but we thank God for having enabled us to graduate,” he said.

Akena said the dream to establish the school started in 2007 while he was still a staff at the Uganda Revenue Authority where he taught tax practice at their revenue school.

He said he was approached by his former lecturers who proposed to him to start a programme similar to the one he was teaching at the URA so that those in the private sector could be able to learn,

Akena’s motivation was also drawn from the desire to change the fortune of people in private practice.

“I was a lecturer at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) tax school and lawyers in private practice also wanted to be part of the class but they couldn’t because it was restricted to the tax body staff only.” 

He continued: “People outside URA equally needed to know how they can comply with the tax obligations and understand how tax assessment is derived. So after persistent demand for such services by mostly lawyers, I set out to establish the tax school,” he said.

He said the school is growing and currently has over 200 hundred students.

He encouraged the graduands to first work for the next two years to enable them get experience and later go for further studies.

Akena noted that to keep their students updated they have established an online television channel where they will be posting relevant information on taxation so as to watch from wherever they will be.

“I want to assure you that tax is a virgin market that is marketable. We need to be on the top of our game and help our clients who are the taxpayers,” he noted.

Dr Assa Mugenyi the President East African School of Taxation applauded the institution for channelling more women than men saying once you educate a woman you have educated the nation.

Out of the top six performers in the class, five were female. They include Oliva Nyangoma, Ruth Nakitto, Ahabwe Charlotte, Daniel Okot and Moureen Akatunihiriza who were awarded as the best overall performing students.

“I am glad that 80% of the graduands are female because once you educated a girl child you have educated the nation. We need to encourage more women to take up these courses,” he said.

“To the students being patient and endurance will be part of your training because if you are to handle taxation matters you have to be patient and enduring due to the processes involved,” he added.

He referred to taxation as being inevitable just like death is inevitable right from biblical times and therefore there will always be tax deputies and people will need somebody to help them settle such disputes.

“I want to thank the East African School of Taxation because it gives a practical side that is not given at the University. For us at the University we give the theoretical part but in life one needs the practical skills to succeed,” he said.

Siraje Baguma Kanyesigye a seasoned tax specialist who was the guest of honour said the institution should be registered among those skilling Uganda because what they are offering is a way of providing skills to the country.

“Once you are born you have to die; the second aspect of a person is that you must pay tax whether you want it or not. Therefore, you have to learn how to live with it. Am proud that you took the direction to learn how to live with tax because it is the blood of every government in the whole world,” he noted.

He reminded them that tax is not about having a certificate in their living rooms but practising it.

“If you do not practice it you forget it because tax changes every other time. It thus calls for continuous learning hence a need to undertake short courses so as to understand taxation properly to do better work,” Kanyesigye noted.

He encouraged them to continue to learn and discover because the business landscape continues changing and as tax consultants, they cannot remain relevant unless they keep updating themselves to transform their certificates into problem-solving.