Museveni to refund taxes levied on Queen of Katwe film, blames URA
Mr Museveni (R) Ms Mutesi (C) and her coach Mr Robert Katende.
What you need to know:
Contacted over the President’s criticism of their tax regime, Ms Sarah Banage, the URA spokesperson, insisted that the taxes the tax body is levying on Ms Mutesi‘s Queen of Katwe movie are spelt out in the law.
Mr Museveni spoke out against URA after the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga introduced the 20-year old Phiona Mutesi to him.
President Museveni has criticised the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) over taxes imposed on the Queen of Katwe movie and promised to refund an un specified amount of cash that the tax body has been levying on the movie.
Speaking on Saturday at the 18th National Prayer Breakfast at Hotel Africana, Mr Museveni said an unnamed contact in the United States brought the matter of taxes imposed on the movie to his attention and revealed that he has been planning to take action.
Mr Museveni spoke out against URA after the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga introduced the 20-year old Phiona Mutesi to him, with Ms Kadaga showering praises on the rise to world glory by Ms Mutesi- thanks to her talent in chess.
“I have been looking for you. It’s good that you are here,”Mr Museveni told a thrilled Ms Mutesi, who was in the company of her coach, Mr Robert Katende.
“These are the fruits that I have been talking about,”Mr Museveni said, in reference to the theme of the breakfast: “We shall know them by their fruits”, picked from Mathew 7:16.
He added: “I was told you that that because of the high taxes from URA, they were compelled to shoot the remaining part of the movie in South Africa. Shame on URA! I will return to you all the money they took from you.”
Contacted over the President’s criticism of their tax regime, Ms Sarah Banage, the URA spokesperson, insisted that the taxes the tax body is levying on Ms Mutesi‘s Queen of Katwe movie are spelt out in the law.
“For us we have a law to follow. Everything we do is according to the law. But if the government has chosen to reimburse her, that is a great thing,” Ms Banage said.
