Masaka traders call off strike against EFRIS
Closed shops on Horbert Street in Masaka City on April 9, 2024. Shops were closed in protest against the Uganda Revenue Authority electronic receipt system. PHOTO | RICHARD KYANJO
What you need to know:
- Mr Kyambadde Muyanja, the chairperson of MACITA, said they agreed to resume business after Mr Kateregga assured them that he is going to forward their complaints to President Museveni
Masaka City traders have indefinitely suspended their strike against Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) system as they wait for discussions between Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) leaders and Parliament.
The decision to temporarily call off the strike came after a meeting between leaders of Masaka City Traders Association (MACITA) and Masaka City deputy resident city commissioner in charge of Kimaanya /Kabonera Municipality, Mr Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi at their offices on Thursday.
The meeting came after more traders in Masaka City had joined the strike including those that operate in the busiest business hubs in the city such as Kikuubo Lane, Jathebai Street, Kabaka Mutebi II Street, Buddu Street, Horbart and Elgin among other streets in the city.
Mr Kyambadde Muyanja, the chairperson of MACITA, said they agreed to resume business after Mr Kateregga assured them that he is going to forward their complaints to President Museveni and also give a chance to their leaders in Kampala to proceed with the discussions they are having with Parliament over the same.
“In the meantime, we agreed to open our shops effective Friday (today) as we wait for what will come from Parliament and the President,” he said
Mr Vincent Kasumba, the President of Masaka City Development Forum, said both the traders and URA have been greatly affected by the strike and there is a need to harmonize their positions and move on.
He said the strike was announced on short notice and their colleagues dealing in perishable commodities and those that travel from neighbouring districts to get products from Masaka City were greatly affected.
“We have colleagues that are supposed to service their loans on a daily basis, but because of the strike, they could not make these payments hence suffering penalties, we are also hopeful that the discussion between KACITA and Parliament will yield some results and have our complaints addressed,” he said.
On his part, Mr Kateregga promised to take the traders' complaints to the President’s Office and asked them to also engage other leaders like area legislators and the ministers from the region so that their concerns are swiftly addressed.
“I have listened to their grievances about the tax arrears and the new tax regime, and I’m told the President promised that the traders be exempted from paying tax arrears that accumulated during the Covid-19 lockdown. I'm going to follow up with the relevant authorities,” he said.
The traders who started the strike in Kampala on Monday and in Masaka on Tuesday wanted to draw the attention of President Museveni on several issues affecting their businesses including among others complaints about Chinese investors who directly take goods to final consumers and the controversial EFRIS. The purported meeting was reportedly scheduled to take place at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala on Friday, April 12.
But a statement issued by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) on April 10, disregarded information circulating on social media about a scheduled meeting between Mr Museveni and the striking traders.
“The PPU wishes to clarify that the information is untrue, if a meeting with traders is indeed planned, all relevant stakeholders will be informed,” the statement reads in part.
