URA suspends 7 clearing firms

Kampala. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) yesterday suspended seven companies over alleged fraud and arrested one imposter who illegally cleared imports worth Shs3.3 billion in taxes.

Addressing journalists yesterday at their headquarters in Nakawa, Kampala, the Assistant Trade Commissioner, Mr James Kisaale, said Mr Jude Ssebuliba has been impersonating as a clearing agent and extorting money from the public.

“On Friday March 15, we received a complaint from a section of traders claiming that their goods were being withheld without justifiable cause. It is alleged that Mr Ssebuliba demanded money for taxes but when asked by the traders for a breakdown to support the sums, he was unable to provide it,” Mr Kisaale said.

He said Mr Ssebuliba is said to have demanded for Shs13 million, which he eventually reduced to Shs8.8m from one of the complainants but could not provide tax assessment firms from URA to justify it, something that opened the eyes of the authority who netted him.
Mr Kisaale said when they questioned Mr Ssebuliba, he provided 30 customs declarations that he has so far handled amounting to Shs3.3 billion.

On examination, they found out that the forms were fake.
He, however, said Mr Ssebuliba had been using different companies to get declaration forms to defraud people.

The companies
The companies include Cargo Uganda Ltd, Paluku Agencies Ltd, Glekk Freight Uganda Ltd, Giants Cargo International Ltd, Aluku Agencies Ltd, Accurate Holdings Ltd and Bundance Logistics LTD.

“We have suspended the seven companies that have been giving the imposter the declaration forms and if we establish that they have also been involved in cheating traders, we shall recall their licences,” Mr Kisaali said.

He asked the traders to first establish whether the person they are dealing with is from a cleared company and should also establish whether that company is licensed to conduct business on behalf of URA.