News
Will taxpayers’ information be protected with the move from TIN to NIN?
“We swore an oath of secrecy to protect our details. We will keep your details with utmost secrecy,” said Akech.
Expo-goers waiting to be attended too. (Photo by Miriam Namutebi)
By: Jackie Nalubwama, Journalist @New Vision
________________
The second day of the NIRA Expo at Kololo Independence Grounds provided an opportunity for the public to air out its concerns about registration, particularly data protection.
Under the theme, “My Identity. My Shadow. Never Apart.”, the expo has been organized by National Identification and Registration Authority, in conjunction with sponsors such as New Vision, Bank of Uganda, Uganda Revenue Authority and Tahaluf and Kampala Capital City Authority.
During a URA session, one member of the audience raised concerns about the safety of their data since URA and NIRA are calling for registration that will merge the Tax Identification Number with the National Identification Number.
Elizabeth Akech, URA’s acting manager of tax education, assured the public that the data will be safe and sound.
“We swore an oath of secrecy to protect our details. We will keep your details with utmost secrecy,” she said.
Highlighting data safety, Ruth Ann Agwang, URA’s manager, domestic tax registration, said they would only pick biodata. “We are only picking biodata such as date of birth, your picture, and place of residence,” she said.
Agwang said URA would not pick all the information as NIRA will not transmit private information, such as individuals’ marital statuses.
“We swore an oath of secrecy to protect our details. We will keep your details with utmost secrecy,” she said.
Highlighting data safety, Ruth Ann Agwang, URA’s manager, domestic tax registration, said they would only pick biodata. “We are only picking biodata such as date of birth, your picture, and place of residence,” she said.
Agwang said URA would not pick all the information as NIRA will not transmit private information, such as individuals’ marital statuses.
“Private information like marriage or divorce will not be transmitted to URA,” she said.
Besides privacy concerns, Agwang said the transition of the Tax Identification Number and the National Identification Number will also solve the issue of identity theft.
“One of the biggest burden as Ugandans has been identity theft,” said Agwang, explaining that many people share the same name and identity theft is common.
“This transaction will help us identify Ugandans who share the same name. This [transition] is a solution to clearly tell the difference between individuals,” she said.
This free expo, which began Tuesday, will end today. The public is best advised to attend it so that any concerns, ranging from birth certificates and marriage certificates to certifications, are sorted in one place. Furthermore, other services from different government agencies such as NITA-U and URA are also available at the expo.
Besides privacy concerns, Agwang said the transition of the Tax Identification Number and the National Identification Number will also solve the issue of identity theft.
“One of the biggest burden as Ugandans has been identity theft,” said Agwang, explaining that many people share the same name and identity theft is common.
“This transaction will help us identify Ugandans who share the same name. This [transition] is a solution to clearly tell the difference between individuals,” she said.
This free expo, which began Tuesday, will end today. The public is best advised to attend it so that any concerns, ranging from birth certificates and marriage certificates to certifications, are sorted in one place. Furthermore, other services from different government agencies such as NITA-U and URA are also available at the expo.