Border officials decry lack of accommodation

The head of station at Mirama Hills border post, Mr Roland Mugisha (right), takes EALA members through operations at the station on Tuesday. PHOTO BY FELIX AINEBYOONA

What you need to know:

  • EALA members are on a sensitisation tour in the country and visited the one stop border post to see how it operates.

NTUNGAMO. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officials working at Mirama Hills border post in Ntungamo District have told the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members that they lack accommodation.
The head of station, Mr Roland Mugisha, on Tuesday said: “…We sleep in manyatas and some of us rent lodges. The people you collect taxes from sleep around you which is very bad because as tax collectors, your security is at a risk,’’ said Mr Mugisha.
He added: “I request the government to work on staff accommodation as well as reducing the working hours. Mirama Hills border post opens at 7am and closes at 8pm.”

Mr Mugisha added that Uganda earns less revenue from the border post compared to Rwanda since there is little business from Rwanda to Uganda yet much is exported to Rwanda from Uganda.
There has been low traffic at the border post because of the ongoing construction of Ntungamo-Mirama Hills road which started in October 2014. Officials expect an increase in traffic and revenue collections once tarmacking is complete. The border post officials also complained of illegal immigrants and traders using ungazzated routes to cross to Uganda.

EALA members are on a sensitisation tour in the country and visited the one stop border post to see how it operates. The head of the five-member delegation, Mr Chris Opoka Okumu, said: “We passed legislation and since then we have never seen how the border post operates. We are impressed with what we have seen,” said Mr Opoka.
On lack of accommodation, Mr Opoka assured the officials that he will take their plight to Arusha so that the government can improve the working conditions.