URA collects Shs28b in January

An increase in the number of people buying mobile phone airtime and taking beer during the festive season has resulted into a surplus revenue collection of Shs28 billion in January, according to Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

The revenue authority says that a total of Shs620 billion was collected, above the targeted amount of 591 billion shillings last month.

21 per cent improvement
Ms Sarah Banage, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Public and Corporate Affairs at URA, said the performance improved by 21 per cent representing Shs110 billion if compared to the amount they collected in January 2012.

Ms Banage attributed the increased collection of the domestic taxes to among other things the increased electricity power capacity arising from the commissioning of Nyagak and Nzizi power stations, which produce 3.5 and 50 Mega Watts of power respectively.

Reduced subsidies
She added that government had also reduced subsidies to the electricity sector and increased compliance and payment of outstanding arrears in the electricity sub sector further helped boost the performance.

She said the power generation had increased the number of people with access to electricity and consequently boosted the base on which Value Added Tax is imposed.

Besides the electricity sub sector was the increased consumption of telephone talk time by consumers. According to URA, the sector registered a Shs4.3 billion surplus representing a growth rate of 23 per cent compared to the sales made in 2011.

The telecom performance has been attributed to increased sales of airtime during the festive season. Other surplus contributions came from the spirits and beer industry that registered a Shs1.4 billion extra revenue.

Ms Banage explained that the industry sold 1,627,779 litres of spirits in December 2012 compared to 615,248 litres in December 2011.