URA loses over 100 workers annually - Kagina

By Paul Kiwuuwa                                             

KAMPALA - Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) loses over 100 staff to highly paying private companies,   Commissioner General Allen Kagina told MPs on the committee of finance planning and economic development.

She attributed the high staff turnover to private companies that offer higher salaries compared to what URA offers.

 “Oil companies, banks, auditing and accounting firms, private businesses among others take up many URA workers,” Kagina revealed.

She said most staffers quit URA after having attained professional training in auditing, accounting, tax and revenue management, financial accounting, business management.

Her revelation came after the committee MPs wondered why employees quit leave URA yet it pays higher salaries than many institutions.

“URA is among the best paying bodies, why does it have a higher staff turnover?” questioned Robert Kasule Ssebuya, the committee chairperson.

But Kagina made sure to tone down assumption. “URA does not pay higher salaries compared to some international banks and oil dealers. Like any other organization, staffers go for greener pastures.”

However, she did not disclosure how much the lowest URA officer earns.

URA pays professional bodies like ACCA, CIMA and CPA to train its people, she said. But after working for an average two years with URA, professional workers “leave under unclear circumstances“.

Kagina presented a list of staffers who left URA in the financial year 2010-2011. The list shows 101 revenue officers, 12 assistant revenue officers, 12 revenue supervisors, two commissioners and two support staff who quit.

The Commissioner General Kagina appeared before the committee to present URA’s budget framework and policy statements for the financial year 2013/2014.

She reported that in financial year 2011-2012, 107 officers, 36 supervisors and six support staff the revenue body.

The MPs proposed that government should set a policy on the number of years workers must serve   for an organization upon completing professional training.

Agago woman MP Judith Frank Akello said it should be in policy that employees must work for at least five years for a body after undergoing professional training at the expense of the organization.

But Timothy Lwanga (Kalangala) thought that four years, on top of the two years of training achieved for URA employees, would make for better policy.

The committee also queried reports that URA employs mostly male staffer from one region, claims that Kagina refuted.

“URA is an equal opportunity employer where recruitment of staff is based on competence demonstrated through the recruitment process.

She went on to clarify that some workers are expelled from URA after going against the required norms.