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The Monitor (Kampala)
October 1, 2003
Posted to the web October 1, 2003
Mercy Nalugo
Kampala
Oyam South MP Okullo Epak has said Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere is idle, useless and ignorant about Graduated tax. Kabwegyere is the minister of Local Government.
Epak who is spearheading the move to have the tax abolished told The Monitor yesterday that Kabwegyere should resign.
He said the professor can't make a serious minister if he's not aware that there're other alternative taxes that could support local governments.
The MP's reaction comes days after the minister described the proponents of the abolition of the tax as "idler talkers who will not change anything."
The minister, according to media reports, made the comments while meeting members of the Uganda Local Authorities Association at Hotel Serona in Kyotera, (Rakai District).
He reportedly said the tax would not be abolished.
"Kabwegyere cannot call us idlers because we are responsible people. If he was a good minister he would be looking for other alternatives [taxes] which we have suggested already," Epak said.
"We are not idle but busy suggesting to government how local governments can raise revenue without depending on Graduated tax only," the visibly angry Epak said.
"President Mkapa of Tanzania scrapped the head tax in this financial year's budget. Does he mean he is also idle," Epak wondered.
He said the Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment Process body has stated that charging graduated tax is counterproductive to government's strategy of poverty reduction.
Epak said they plan to move a motion for the abolition of the tax.
"The draft bill is ready. We want to move a motion asking for permission to table it as soon as Parliament resumes," Epak said.
The justification for its (tax) abolition is that it is levied on the poorest of the poor.
