URA chief vows to crack down on corrupt middlemen

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Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) commissioner general John Musinguzi has issued a stern warning to intermediaries whom he accuses of sabotaging trade facilitation by exploiting gaps in the customs system.

Speaking at the URA Traders Dialogue 25, on May 8, 2025, he emphasised the taxman’s renewed commitment to transparency, efficiency, and direct engagement with traders.

The event at Hotel Africana in Kampala city was organised under the theme: Fostering Transparency in Trade Facilitation.

The dialogue also provided a platform for an open discussion on challenges faced by traders and highlighted the urgent need for robust tax education.

“What has brought us here today is the need to present a united voice in addressing the actions of certain individuals, commonly referred to as consolidators, clearing agents, who are driving a wedge between traders and the URA,” Musinguzi noted.

He pointed to the intermediaries as the primary culprits behind unnecessary clearance delays and misinformation that he says fuels mistrust between the URA and the business community.

“We want to make it clear: The process for clearing a container should be transparent,” he added.

He noted that a person should know exactly how long it takes (ideally two days from the Port of Mombasa in Kenya) and how much they are required to pay at a specific time, with no hidden charges or arbitrary fees.

He committed to taking firm action against those who exploit taxpayers, whether from within or outside the system.

He said such people are “enemies of national progress”, choosing theft over collective growth.

“We will take the lead in rolling out comprehensive tax education programmes to empower and inform all stakeholders,” Musinguzi said.

He went on to urge traders not to pay bribes and to report any instances of misconduct directly to the URA Compliance and Ethics team, led by assistant commissioner James Abola.

“We pledge to put an end to corruption and delays. We shall be putting our officers on spot, there won't be any delays for goods coming from abroad. We shall also engage with clearing agents also to be mindful of the costs and values that they charge,” he added.

He stressed that in instances where values are unclear, they can go to the database values, and the change should be predictable; the values are changed every three months.

Kampala Central Division Arcade Traders Cooperative Society chairperson Charles Yiga welcomed the engagement, saying that traders find it a bit hard to follow through with all the taxes because of a lack of tax knowledge.

“It’s admirable to be with URA within the building, the truth is that as traders we find it a bit hard to follow through with all the taxes because of a lack of tax knowledge,” he said.

He emphasised that the collaboration will continue to progress gradually, with many traders becoming increasingly aware of their obligations as they work towards fostering a tax-conscious trading community.