Private individuals to pay Shs5m for gun licenses
Government has proposed to increase gun licensing fees from Shs150,000 to Shs5 million for private gun owners according to the 2017/2018 financial year budget estimates.
The development was communicated by the State Minister for Planning David Bahati while appearing before the Parliamentary Budget Committee.
This follows an increase in gun related crimes in the country with the most recent being the murder of AIGP Felix Kaweesi, his driver and body guard by armed assailants.
“I think they are making it more costly for someone to possess a firearm,” Mr Amos Luguloobi, chairperson to the Budget Committee told NTV on Tuesday.
The move has received the backing of MPs on the Parliamentary Committee on Budget.
Kasanda North MP, Partrick Nsamba welcomed government’s tax proposal saying that owning a fire arm by a private individual is “a luxury.”
Army representative in Parliament Col. Felix Kulayigye said although arms are a monopoly of the State, private individuals can possess them if their security needs to be beefed up.
“It’s in order that government gets revenue by taxing them…,” he said.
However, Mr Lugoloobi said as members of the Budget Committee, they need to understand government’s move which will see tax increased from Shs150, 000 to Shs5 million.
There are about 3,000 guns in the hands of private individuals.
