By Our Reporter
Enforcement officers intercepted 7,500 kgs of Bakers wheat flour that was being smuggled from Kenya and conveyed by Truck Reg UAZ 786D. The truck was intercepted by the Uganda Revenue Authority team in Lwakhakha as it made its way to Mbale city.
The consignment included 150 bags of 50kgs each, which the truck driver abandoned once the enforcement officers trapped him amidst the smuggling festivities.
On the same day, Thursday 17th May, the team spread its enforcement surveillance net and raked in over 20 bales of worn clothes and 8 motorcycles that were being used as means of conveyance of un-customed goods.
Wheat smuggling is a notorious vice in the Eastern region as seen in recent enforcement operation recoveries where URA has intercepted vehicles and motorcycles struggling to illegally get the goods onto the market.
In August 2023, URA found 150 cartons of wheat flour at a consolidation centre in Mbale after trailing a notorious smuggling trader from Bukwo to the loot’s hideout.
In October 2023, the tax body’s enforcement team in Busitema intercepted a Fuso truck registration number UBP 736H that was loaded with 5,750kgs of smuggled wheat flour from Kenya.
In the subsequent month of November, an Isuzu Elf registration number UBL 193F was intercepted at Narugugu junction where 350 cartons of Pembe wheat flour as the car tried to enter the Bukwo area.
URA notes that a taxpayer whose goods are confiscated from enforcement operations risks incurring additional costs from the duration of storage of these goods if not cleared or redeemed in time.
“The rent for such goods is calculated through cubic meters occupied, which cubic metres are measured in terms of length by width and height that the goods occupy client,” noted URA’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Bbossa.
Bbossa advised traders to avoid any lure into smuggling in order to avoid incurring penalties and additional costs such as rent, not forgetting the possibility of losing the goods completely once sold in a public auction.
URA has intensified intelligence-guided operations leveraging the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection technology at the border points and field intelligence enforcement operations to curb such vices.
In another news, last week, URA ‘s team one commenced a two-week long joint operation with Uganda Traffic Police and the Military. The operation targeted foreign registered motor vehicles, those with red plates (tax exempted vehicles), duplicate number plates and forged ones.
Following intelligence reports, a number of check points were staged around the Kampala city suburbs. Each location was manned by 5 officers who ensured that the operations were carried out seamlessly.
During the operation, more than 750 vehicles were verified against their profiles in URA systems like E-TAX and relevant information was recorded from the drivers.
According to John Olowo, one of the enforcement officers, a total of 125 motor vehicles were impounded, 78 of these were foreign registered while 47 had red number plates; implying that they were abusing duty-free exemptions.
“Most foreign registered motor vehicles are owned by Ugandans while others are owned by foreigners whose permanent residence is in Uganda especially South Sudanese,” Olowo explained.
For now, the owners of the intercepted vehicles are willing to have their vehicles registered in Uganda, an idea URA is supporting.
In terms of penalties, so far, UGX 129,200,000 (USD. 34,000) has been collected and 13 vehicles have been forwarded to customs warehouse to pay taxes and register. Out of the whole exercise, the process is projected to generate more than UGX 500,000,000.
Ibrahim Bbossa, the URA Spokesperson noted that URA is expected to collect more revenue this financial year so continuous driving of non-authorized vehicles on the road affects the taxes URA collects for improved service delivery.
He also added that the authority is committed to cracking the vice to ensure that every Ugandan pays their fair share of revenue.
“I urge persons with foreign registered number plates to adhere to the EAC customs processes and legislation for importation of foreign registered vehicles or follow the registration process and acquire the Ugandan number plates ,” Bbossa emphasized.
