UTODA pays KCC sh290m
Feb 04, 2007
THE Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) yesterday swiftly swung into action to avert the cancellation of its tender and paid sh290m to KCC.
By Apollo Mubiru
and Mary Karugaba
THE Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) yesterday swiftly swung into action to avert the cancellation of its tender and paid sh290m to KCC.
It also wrote to KCC making a commitment to pay sh500m in two weeks and sh100m per month. This in addition to its usual monthly bills of over sh200m.
KCC director for finance Bakka Mussujja told the New Vision that UTODA at the end of January owed KCC sh1.55b.
He said UTODA’s debt accumulated because KCC had forgiven them a debt of sh630m. “The council was supposed to get authority from the minister of local government which it never did. So UTODA operated knowing that they were forgiven. They are supposed to pay.â€
However, Parliament has given KCC one month to organise the take over of UTODA. Mussujja said KCC could not immediately take over due lack of capacity.
KCC on Thursday cancelled UTODA’s contract to manage taxi operations.
UTODA general secretary Charles Kamya yesterday blamed city mayor Nasser Ssebaggala for the debt.
He said they were not collecting enough revenue since the mayor promised to replace taxis with buses. He added that as a result, taxi operators had gone to southern Sudan, where they do not pay high taxes.
Kamya asserted that KCC had reversed Parliament’s directive to cancel the contract. He attributed their failure to remit money to KCC to the fact that many taxi-operators had parked their vehicles because some of them did not want to install speed governors.
He stated that rampant road closures and diversions in the city had made it difficult for UTODA to collect fees because some taxis do not reach the taxi parks to pay their daily dues.
Kamya, who protested the MPs’ directive, said: “We were there before the tender. It is not easy that we shall vacate. We shall appeal. Even if they were to cancel and advertise, we shall apply.â€
and Mary Karugaba
THE Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) yesterday swiftly swung into action to avert the cancellation of its tender and paid sh290m to KCC.
It also wrote to KCC making a commitment to pay sh500m in two weeks and sh100m per month. This in addition to its usual monthly bills of over sh200m.
KCC director for finance Bakka Mussujja told the New Vision that UTODA at the end of January owed KCC sh1.55b.
He said UTODA’s debt accumulated because KCC had forgiven them a debt of sh630m. “The council was supposed to get authority from the minister of local government which it never did. So UTODA operated knowing that they were forgiven. They are supposed to pay.â€
However, Parliament has given KCC one month to organise the take over of UTODA. Mussujja said KCC could not immediately take over due lack of capacity.
KCC on Thursday cancelled UTODA’s contract to manage taxi operations.
UTODA general secretary Charles Kamya yesterday blamed city mayor Nasser Ssebaggala for the debt.
He said they were not collecting enough revenue since the mayor promised to replace taxis with buses. He added that as a result, taxi operators had gone to southern Sudan, where they do not pay high taxes.
Kamya asserted that KCC had reversed Parliament’s directive to cancel the contract. He attributed their failure to remit money to KCC to the fact that many taxi-operators had parked their vehicles because some of them did not want to install speed governors.
He stated that rampant road closures and diversions in the city had made it difficult for UTODA to collect fees because some taxis do not reach the taxi parks to pay their daily dues.
Kamya, who protested the MPs’ directive, said: “We were there before the tender. It is not easy that we shall vacate. We shall appeal. Even if they were to cancel and advertise, we shall apply.â€