Kagina hands over office at URA

The Outgoing ‪‎Commissioner‬ General Mrs. Allen Kagina has hands over to Ms. Doris Akol, the new Commissioner General. Courtesy Photo

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Speaking at the handover in Kampala yesterday, Ms Kagina said: “I hand over complete work. Nothing is missing and nothing has been undone

KAMPALA:
After 20 years of collecting taxes and serving the tax body as the longest ever tax head, Ms Allen Catherine Kagina finally bowed out yesterday.

Out of her two-decade service with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Ms Kagina served 10 as the Commissioner General.
Speaking at the handover in Kampala yesterday, Ms Kagina said: “I hand over complete work. Nothing is missing and nothing has been undone.”

Her success over the 10 years at the helm of the tax body was largely a result of freedom that the URA board led by Mr Gerald Sendaula accorded her.

Appreciated the board
She said: “I know of boards that do not give you the powers you deserve and when things go wrong they blame the managers. This board is different. It gave me all the powers to run the operations.”

Her successor, Doris Akol, has been at URA for 19 years.
Ms Kagina also jokingly told staff and stakeholders of how she would have led a revolt if URA had settled for an expatriate or a foreigner.

“I told a few colleagues earlier that we have not built URA and all the systems only to be handed over to outsiders,” she said
Advising her successor, [Ms Doris Akol] Ms Kagina said: “All you need to do is build networks with people across board. You are a relationship builder.

She said reaffirmed that Ms Akol has all it takes to take URA forward and higher, praying that God should exceedingly bless the new commissioner general even more than He did blessed her while at the helm of the tax body.

Mr Sendaula said Ms Kagina did not disappoint him and the board and in the same breath asked Ms Akol to emulate her predecessor given that the shoes she has filled is huge. Mr Sendaula also asked senior managers to cooperate with Ms Akol saying those who didn’t make it for the position should take heart as there is always next time to try.

In her speech, Ms Akol said she will strengthen compliance and deal with each situation differently depending on prevailing conditions.

She said she is ready for the challenge and she is committed alongside her team to deliver Uganda from donor support to self-sustenance—collect what is needed to fund the budget.
Representing the Minister of Finance, Maria Kiwanuka, Mr Aston Kajara, said the government will support Ms Akol in her efforts to collect taxes.

Utility
Ms Kagina officially handed all instrument of power yesterday after working with URA for 20 years. Half of that she served as the Commissioner General. In her time at the helm she collected taxes that funded 80 percent of the budget from about 50 percent when she took over