Masaka officials to account for sh224m
Apr 29, 2007
The parliamentary public accounts committee has summoned the Masaka Municipal officials to explain why they failed to remit sh224m to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
By Eddie Ssejjoba
The parliamentary public accounts committee has summoned the Masaka Municipal officials to explain why they failed to remit sh224m to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The URA recently froze and attached the municipal accounts for failure to pay Value Added Tax, Pay as you Earn, and withholding tax arrears between 1998 and 2004. This affected workers’ salary payments.
Secondary and primary school teachers in the municipality had also threatened to stop working, demanding over sh150m for February that was held up by the frozen accounts.
The town clerk, Yusuf Ssenteza, said the parliamentary committee summoned the municipal officials on May 11 to explain how the arrears accumulated.
Ssenteza said the chief administrative officer, Joseph Mukwaya, summoned the former town clerk, Lawrence Bagerize, and his deputy, Gwavu Kiwanuka, to search for the documents concerning the expenditure of the funds that were not paid to URA.
He said the taxes were deducted from the workers and the companies awarded tenders, however, no reason was given as to why the money was not sent to the tax body.
Senteza further cautioned public servants against misusing public funds.
The council has diverted sh150m obtained from the sale of land to Barclays Bank to pay the teachers salaries as investigations continue.
The mayor, Tibyasa Matovu, said it was unfair for the council to pay the debt before the officials explain why they failed to remit the money to URA.
The parliamentary public accounts committee has summoned the Masaka Municipal officials to explain why they failed to remit sh224m to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The URA recently froze and attached the municipal accounts for failure to pay Value Added Tax, Pay as you Earn, and withholding tax arrears between 1998 and 2004. This affected workers’ salary payments.
Secondary and primary school teachers in the municipality had also threatened to stop working, demanding over sh150m for February that was held up by the frozen accounts.
The town clerk, Yusuf Ssenteza, said the parliamentary committee summoned the municipal officials on May 11 to explain how the arrears accumulated.
Ssenteza said the chief administrative officer, Joseph Mukwaya, summoned the former town clerk, Lawrence Bagerize, and his deputy, Gwavu Kiwanuka, to search for the documents concerning the expenditure of the funds that were not paid to URA.
He said the taxes were deducted from the workers and the companies awarded tenders, however, no reason was given as to why the money was not sent to the tax body.
Senteza further cautioned public servants against misusing public funds.
The council has diverted sh150m obtained from the sale of land to Barclays Bank to pay the teachers salaries as investigations continue.
The mayor, Tibyasa Matovu, said it was unfair for the council to pay the debt before the officials explain why they failed to remit the money to URA.