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Pay-Tv Provider Startimes Shines At Prestigious Kuza Awards Ceremony

By
Linda Njoroge
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0

Pay-Tv provider StarTimes emerged triumphant at the sixth edition of the Communications Authority’s KUZA Broadcasting Awards, held on Friday in Nairobi.

The prestigious event, themed “Shaping the Future of Broadcasting: Towards a Creative Economy,” emphasized the vital role that the creative industry plays in Kenya’s economy.

StarTimes was honored with the highly coveted award for Favorite Pay TV Service, securing the runner-up position.

In a statement expressing their delight, StarTimes announced, “We are proud to have won a Silver Award at the 6th annual CA Kuza Broadcasting Awards 2023 for Favorite Pay TV Service.”

The recognition highlights StarTimes’ commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and broadcasting services to its customers.

In a night filled with pomp and glamour Pan African Network Group (PANG) also won Gold in the best Broadcast Signal Distributor category.

As a prominent player in the industry, PANG has continuously demonstrated its dedication to providing high-quality, innovative technology, and unmatched service delivery.

The Kuza Broadcasting Awards serve as a platform to acknowledge outstanding contributions and achievements within the broadcasting sector. By clinching this prestigious award, Startimes solidifies its position as a leading pay-tv service provider in Kenya.

Speaking, Startimes Chief Executive Officer Mr. Carter Luo said that this accolade not only reaffirms StarTimes’ commitment to customer satisfaction but also underscores the company’s significant impact on the broadcasting landscape.

He said that Startimes, through its extensive range of channels, affordable subscription packages, and commitment to local content, they have captured the hearts of viewers across the nation.

“The award comes as a testament to StarTimes’ unwavering dedication to excellence and its ability to adapt to the evolving needs and preferences of its audience. With a focus on delivering top-notch entertainment, informative programs, and enriching experiences, StarTimes continues to shape the future of broadcasting in Kenya,” he said.

He added that StarTimes remains at the forefront, providing unparalleled pay-tv services that enhance the viewing experience for millions of households.

“This recognition serves as a catalyst for further innovation and reinforces StarTimes’ commitment to being a driving force in the broadcasting sector.” he said.

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OWEYEGHA-AFUNADUULA: The Scourge Of Environmental Illiteracy In Uganda

By
Linda Njoroge
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0
Trees prepared for charcoal burning- COURTSEY PHOTO

By Oweyegha-Afunaduula
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word “scourge” is what causes suffering or trouble. The assumption in this topic is that environmental illiteracy is causing suffering and trouble not only to the peoples and communities of Uganda but also to the country as a whole.

Before I delve further into this topic, let me introduce you to the term literacy. When one mentions literacy in Uganda the general perception evoked is that one wants to know how many people can read and write. The Other day the Government of Uganda was boasting that the literacy rate in the country is now 80% in a veiled attempt to show that most Ugandans are now able to read and write.

However, the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) aspects of Uganda’s Movement enforced education system, one of the fundamental changes to emerge in the country since 1986 when President Tibuhaburwa Museveni captured the instruments of power through the barrel of the gun, are producing more and more people who cannot read and write coherently.

This is now apparent at the university level where an increasingly big number of graduates cannot write a coherent application letter for a job.

Besides, as I wrote recently, many so-called educated people have over the decades become secondarily illiterate because they no longer feel a compulsion to read and acquire new knowledge, renew their knowledge or modify their knowledge in the fields of knowledge where they were nurtured while at university.

Also, many students claim that their lecturers and professors cite authorities or their own notes of more than 20 years ago to instruct them, mainly for examinations.
On the whole, the struggle for critical thinking, genuine interaction and sustainability in all spheres of human endeavour is being frustrated by the overcommitment of the powers that be to use education to ensure power retention, disempowerment of indigenous groups of people and the politics interests, mostly ethnic and refugee interests.

Apparently, refugees have started to demand that they are represented in the Uganda Parliament. This is happening amidst declining levels in the political development and political literacy of Ugandans as the general message to the country is that what matters is integration in the money economy.

Without political literacy and political development Ugandans cannot protect themselves from political manipulation for the benefit of interests that do nt benefit the country. They soon sink into slavery and lose their local democracy, sovereignty and ownership to refugees and former refugees who have used the Uganda Constitution to access everything that was essentially Ugandan -including power and land.

With political and military power, they and their politically illiterate supporters are grabbing land and land-based natural resources for themselves as the disempowered Ugandans look on with naked eyes and fear under obnoxious laws enacted purposely to de-radicalize, inactivate and disempower them.

With citizens who are politically literate and politically developed on a continuous basis this would not be possible. However, it is necessary for the citizens to be literate in many dimensions to be able to resist threats of conquest, decitizenization, denationalization, occupation, depoliticization, displacement, dispossession, dehumanization, deradicalization and deintellectualization, which must occur concurrently for a people to lose their country to others.

In the 1800s the word literacy did not exist, but the word illiteracy did exist. However, when the word literacy emerged, it referred only to ability to read and write. It is more than having ability to read and write. Therefore, when assessing and determining the literacy rate of a country such as Uganda, we need to have a broader view of it. When we do we recognize a diversity of types of literacy.

Indeed, there is an array of types of literacy, including : primary literacy, educational literacy, social literacy, scientific literacy, technological literacy, mathematics literacy, civic literacy, financial literacy, cultural literacy, development literacy, regionalism literacy, globalism literacy, militarism literacy, sexual perversion literacy, human rights literacy, spiritual literacy, Covid 19 literacy.

The others are climate literacy, sustainability literacy, cooperation literacy, Apartheid literacy, literacy of the causes of violence, negotiation literacy, imperialism literacy, neocolonialism literacy, leadership literacy, governance literacy, political literacy, resistance literacy, resilience literacy, climate literacy, environmental literacy, ecological literacy, eco-literacy and complexity literacy, to name but a few facets or dimensions of literacy. Therefore, it is sensible and reasonable to view literacy, not simplistically but as a complex, multidimensional term or concept. Indeed, complexity is always better than simplicity.

In this article, I want to write about the centrality of environmental illiteracy in virtually everything, including the actions of government in development, such as budgetary allocation to different spheres of human endeavour (i.e., security, human development, agriculture, energy development, social development, tourism and social development). Where there is environmental illiteracy, there can be no meaningful and effective development. The idea of environmental literacy is central to survival.

Before I dwell on the centrality of environmental illiteracy in Uganda’s development, let me articulate and clarify what environmental literacy is. The term environmental literacy is due to a man called Roth who innovated it in 1968 in an article in the issue of Audibon of that year. It has grown in stature and influence since then. I can now introduce it and its significance to you. Let me start with its definition.

Environmental literacy has been variously defined as: Having the knowledge, skills and disposition to solve problems and resolve issues individually and collectively that sustain ecological and environmental stability and sustainability

An individual’ understanding, skills, and motivation to make responsible decisions that take the relationship of society and human endeavors to natural systems seriously
Encompasses knowledge, awareness and concern about the environment (in all its dimensions:

The ecological-biological, socio-economic, socio-cultural and temporal) and its associated problems, issues and challenges as well as well as the knowledge, skills and motivations to work towards the solutions of short-term, medium-term and long-term problems (including the wicked problems -those that cannot be subjected to simplifications such as environmental and climate ones)

Therefore, an environmentally literate person has the capacity to make decisions and act individually and with others to initiate environmentally, ecologically and socially sensitive efforts towards building the environmental literacy of everyone and the whole society.

An environmentally-literate person is also seen as a one who will work individually and with others to make sound decisions concerning the environment, and in the environment, is willing to act on those decisions to improve the well-being of other individuals, communities and the whole society in a clean, safe and secure environment.

Hence, real security is not military security, as some rulers think, believe and are convinced it is, but is found only in a clean, safe and secure environment. If the environment is unclean, unsafe and insecure, military insecurity will go on, accompanied by huge investments in military hardware, training of military personnel, creation of paramilitary groups and spying rings. Government will fear its people and everyone will fear every other. There can be no production in a sea of fear.

We should remember that when we talk of a clean, safe and secure environment, we mean the local, national, regional and global environments, which are all interconnected and interdependent. We must, therefore, be all environmentally-literate enough to ensure clean, safe and secure local, national, regional and global environment.

Government (s) must be environmentally- literate enough to create conditions (civic, political, social, economic, cultural and so on) in which all of us participate fully in the leadership, governance, civic life as well as production in the environment, which is our gigantic outdoor home.

They must ensure we and our kids are all environmentally literate and fearless enough to demand for a clean, safe and secure environment.

In summary, to be environmentally literate one:
Must be politically literate and developed politically to demand for a clean, safe and secure environment and its de-militarization

Must possesses knowledge and understanding of a range of environmental concepts, problems, issues and challenges (such as pollution, militarization, land grabbing, cultural erosion, refugees)

Must have a set of cognitive and affective dispositions
Must have a set of cognitive skills and abilities (such as reading, writing, critical thinking and critical analysis, connecting phenomena)

Must depict the appropriate behavioral strategies to apply such knowledge and understanding in order to make sound and effective and innovate ideas in a range of environmental contexts

Must be open to new ideas and interpretations of environmental problems, issues and challenges and strategies to resolve them

From what I have written so far, you can discern that I do not think and believe that Uganda – her people and leaders -are environmentally literate. The opposite of being environmentally literate is being environmentally illiterate.

If you ask me what it means to be environmentally illiterate, I will answer you by saying that it means “Inability to put environment at the centre of our thinking, convictions, decisions and actions in all spheres of human endeavour”.

For example, in the Presidentially led development process in Uganda, the philosophy of development championed by President Tibuhaburwa Museveni is that “Infrastructure development should come first, followed by nature, environment and people”.

This philosophy of development ignores the interconnections and interdependences between nature, environment, peoples and societies. Therefore, in pursuit of development in Uganda under President Museveni environment is just an add-on essential, which may or may not be integrated in the development process.

Environmental development is a distant possibility. How environmentally illiterate our political, environmental and technical leaders who make the decisions in and about the environment and the citizens who are affected by those decisions are is critical to the working of environmental literacy in the conservation of our environment.

The scourge of environmental illiteracy is real and deep from top to bottom and an antithesis of development. Where environmental illiteracy reigns there can be no meaningful and effective development.

Neither can there be meaningful and effective leadership in a century of information, communication and environment. With the current emphasis of monetization of everything conceivable and government determination to put money first and both environment and people last, we can expect environmental illiteracy to mushroom and environmental degradation to accelerate.

There is no doubt that the development programmes such as Bonna Baggagawale, Myooga, Parish Development Model and Operation Wealth Cooperation, being committed to monetization of humans and their environment, are so environmentally empty and run by environmentally illiterate agents that they will end up ultimately undermining meaningful and effective development.

They will however prove to be politically useful under circumstances of development failure because the people will sink further into poverty out of which they will not be able to emerge well in the future.

Exploitative and consumptive development, with little feeling for the environment always promotes environmental decay and collapse, accompanied by impoverishment, which may be localized or regionalized. We are suffering and in trouble economically because we have allowed environmental illiteracy to predominate in our economic life.

Our leaders who are excluding our indigenous people from development are environmentally-illiterate by choice and design. They have decided to ignore environment and put it at the back of development.

They are using the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to approve environmentally destructive development projects, such as dams, and cast its leaders as environmentally-illiterate managers.

We must build environmental literacy in government and the private sector and dehook ourselves from the orthodox culture of money, which thrives on environmental destruction.
If we are to build environmental literacy, or a population and leadership that is environmentally literate enough to put environment and environmental literacy at the centre of everything we desire and do, then we must erect an environmental literacy plan for environmentally literate and sustainable communities, leadership and governance at all levels of society.

This will however only be possible if we recognize at all levels of society the various environmental, ecological, cultural, socio-economic and socio-cultural heritage based directly on the natural resources subtending our communities and society.

Unfortunately, in Uganda the scourge of Presidentialism, whereby everything begins and ends with the President, threatens to prevent a genuine culture of environmental literacy being part and parcel of our civilization and development efforts this century.

Everything is done for politics, with politics and by politics to create pathways for foreign interests to dominate the development process, leadership and governance of the country at the expense of indigenous communities of Ugandans.

There is need to rethink Uganda and its development, leadership and governance and recognize the centrality of environment and environmental literacy to any meaningful change, transformation and progress in the 21st Century. A word to the wise is enough.

For God and my Country

The writer is a Ugandan Scientist And Environmentalist. 

DISCALIEMR: The views expressed in this article are solely for and belong to the author/ writer. They don’t reflect, portray or represent Accord Communications limited, it’s owners or employees. If you have a story in your community or an opinion article, let’s publish it. Send us an email via ultimatenews19@gmail.com or WhatsApp +255769138299

Shortage of water Exposes Amudat School Girls Into Rape And Forced Marriages

By
Steven Ariong
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0
Pupils of Nabokotom primary school drinking water direct from the water trap meant for animals (Photo by Steven Ariong

AMUDAT: As a proverb says educating a girl child is educating the nation, well this slogan might be working very well from other regions such as central, western and part of eastern in the country, but it’s a different story in Amudat district in Karamoja region in the North Eastern Uganda.

Pupils of Nabokotom primary school drinking water direct from the water trap meant for animals-PHOTO BY STEVEN ARIONG

A visit by this news website to Nabokotom primary school 8 killometers away from Amudat district headquarters eastern part towards the border of Uganda and Kenya, school girls move a distance of 12kilometers towards Kenya boarder to get access to water.

In fact this publication also learnt that the school releases pupils as early as 3pm instead of 4pm official time to allow pupils to go and look for water especially those in primary seven classes.

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The worst situation is that these girls live in an environment where their parents don’t value education than livestock. In Amudat district girls are married off at the age of 13 to 18 years to men who aged of between 60 to 80 years as long as they pay big number of livestock as bride price.

Around Nabokotom primary school, there’s a well functioning solar pump water system installed by Food and Agriculture, however due to negligence, the tank which could store water for the pupils to use fell down three years down the road and the district had never thought of replacing it.

A plastic 10,000 liter tank cost about Shs2million, but no body has thought of buying it. Speaking to this website one of the girls said last week one of her classmate was almost being abducted by men who had proposed to marry her but she refused.

This website could not fine any teacher to speak with.

Rt Major Betty Akello Otekat the resident district commissioner Amudat confirmed the school has a well functioning water system but faulted the district for just failing to buy a plastic tank.

“Can you imagine its just a plastic tank which is missing and the school will have water to save the lives of the girls at school”-says Akello

If you have a story in your community or an opinion article, let’s publish it. Send us an email via ultimatenews19@gmail.com or WhatsApp +255769138299

FULGENCE SSENDAGALA KAJUBI: Improving Tax Compliance And Uncovering The Common Mistakes Done by tax payers.

By
Linda Njoroge
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0

By CPA Fulgence Ssendagala Kajubi

We are positioned to share with you our practical experience in tax matters and more especially the mistakes most taxpayers make and later face consequences, which are detrimental to their businesses and cash flows. In addition to what we shared with you in our sixth episode, below are the additional key areas that must trigger a URA audit if not done well.

Communication: By simplifying the tax administration consistently, communication it improves tax compliance, shoves taxpayers to pay taxes on time, and makes both late filers and payers comply more swiftly. In both cases, the tax administration must be able to communicate routinely to its taxpayers.

This may not only be on reminding them on the tax arrears and liability to pay their taxes but also updating them on the new developments in the tax field. The taxpayers must know their client relationship managers and stations as well as their telephone contacts and mails to contact them in case of any gap that they would wish to know.

Capping of carryforward losses: Taxpayers have been in a lot of accumulated assessed losses coming from their excess deductions compared to the incomes derived from their operations. This has been caused by increased cost of sales, operational costs, industrial building allowances and wear and tear on plant and machinery, which they incur unsparingly on grounds that they will benefit from section 38 of the income tax act.

Section 38 of the Income Act subsection (1) states that, subject to s76, where for any year of income,   the total amount of income included in the gross income of a tax payer is exceeded by the total deductions allowed to the tax payer, the amount of excess referred to as assessed loss will be carried forward and allowed as a deductions to determine the chargeable income of the following year of income.

Though this has been the norm for tax payers, cases have been that where URA gets suspicion on the continuous position of the losses carried forward, and an audit is usually set to determine the accuracy, completeness and a true and fair position.

New law changes effective 1st July 2023: A taxpayer who after a period of five years of income carries forward assessed losses shall only be allowed a deduction of fifty percent (50%) of the loss carried forward.

Who will be affected?

All Loss making entities.

When does it start and does it affect companies, which have carryforward losses past five years before?

The law works prospectively and not retrospective. This means that it will commence on 1st July 2023 to be effective.

Implications

  • Taxpayers will be able to pay the taxes early in their operations. Because the reasons, which have been causing the losses, that is excessive, allowable deductions are repealed.
  • If the losses happen for five years only 50% will be allowed and thus forfeiture the other 50%
  • Strategic tax planning are needed to make sure that cash flows are not affected when paying taxes
  • Denial of Tax credit Certificates because you are in loss and cannot even pay any provision tax. The essence of the TCC is to facilitate your business, so if you don’t facilitate URA how can it facilitate your as well.
  • The carried forward assessed losses would delay the taxpayer to pay the taxes earlier but it has implications that continuous audits are instituted on your firm and such losses may be added or denied to you and thus make you pay taxes where they have found the carried forward losses to be invalid.
  • Companies with losses before can continue to utilize them until its five year from 1st july 2023.

Unreconciled tax ledgers: It’s a standard book keeping that keep and track your own transactions on your Tax identification Number (TIN). It shows all the tax heads your TIN is registered for and the tax position

Where do I find my Tax ledger?

  • Log into URA portal using your credential like the TIN and the password that you created.
  • Go to e-services and scroll down wards on the menu. Then click on the Taxpayer ledger and view your tax types.

Tax Types

What taxes are on my ledger?

These may include the following;-

  • Value Added a Tax
  • Withholding Tax
  • PAYE
  • VAT withheld
  • Vat on Imported Services
  • Income Tax for rentals
  • Gaming tax
  • Local excise duty

The above Tax Type depends on what was registered on your TIN due to the nature of your business. Any transaction you make on each of the above tax type is posted automatically on the ledger Therefore it is advisable to reconcile your account and see its accuracy in relation to the transactions and payments made. Where there is an inconsistency on any unsettled tax, then contact URA for assistance and reconcile your position.

Use of our TINS by our friends

Their friends to use their TINS transactions have approached some people. This arises where a transaction is to take place and you do not have what it takes to invoice in your TIN or a friend may get a contract or business deal and opt to use your TIN. This is unethical and it will cause you a huge tax exposure

Implication.

  • This imposes a tax risk in that the transactions that pass on your TIN are sales where you are expected to pay VAT if you are VAT registered and Corporation taxes.
  • You must pay 30% on such income transacted on your TIN despite the fact that there are no expenses incurred.
  • A desk or advisory audit may be instituted on your firm and this is costly in terms of time and tax penalties

Solution

  • Resist from sharing your TINs, Passwords and mails.
  • Advise your friends to open up their own TINS for any transactions they would want to carry out in their businesses.

Commercial vehicles

Where you have commercial vehicles usually register for their advance income tax and pay it on time. The valuation of the amounts to be paid is based on the tonnage weighed by each Vehicle.

Who is supposed to register for Advance tax of motor vehicles?

  • Any Taxpayers who owns commercial vehicles like trailers, trucks, buses. etc.
  • Do not allow transaction of transfer of Vehicles that you do not own on your TIN as they will attract Advance vehicle income Tax.
  • Be jealousy about your TIN as much as possible.
  • If you use transporters, make sure that all their advance taxes have been paid. This must be part of the vetting process as it has cost implications on your business in case found liable

Do we expense the Advance tax paid?

  • Tax is not an expense to your business as it is not wholly and exclusively incurred to generate the income included in the gross income of your business.
  • Keep records of such advance taxes paid, as it will be utilized at year-end when making your final tax computation to be paid.

Implication

  • Accumulated advance tax liability on your TIN account if not paid on time
  • Delay on transfer, you find a challenge of accumulated tax burden to be paid if you not been paying such tax on time.
  • Your vehicle may be stopped on the way and advised to pay such taxes
  • Business interruptions due to nonpayment of advance vehicle tax on time.

Do I pay taxes even if I do not have any business?: A TIN is your Identification Number   for Tax purposes. The reason why you secure a TIN is payment of taxes on incomes earned from your business, transfer of Vehicles among others. Therefore the tax authority expects any person with a Tin like an individual or a company, trust, partnership to file its returns through declaring its earnings and pay the tax the accrues. Most people have faced assessments   on their TINS because of not filling returns and paying of taxes on time.

Implication: If you have a TIN and do not file returns, you incur penalties and assessments on your TINS as stipulated in the Tax procedures code and Income tax act

The only people who have TINs and do not file taxes for themselves if they earn from one source are the employees of companies. This is because the obligation is with the employer to withhold and file  taxes withheld know as  PAYE

On which Income or earnings do I pay taxes?

There are different sources of income on which taxes are imposed. These include but not limited to the following;

  • Employment
  • Business income
  • Rental income
  • Property income which include interest, royalties, dividends etc

Thresholds

What is the minimum amount that I can earn and do not pay any taxes?

This depends on the type of income you have earned, for example

Employment Income: Anybody who earns a shilling to 235,000/= in Uganda per month is exempted from paying PAYE. Alternatively, anyone who earns less or equal to 2820,000/= per year. For More information, visit the PAYE band bracket in the Income tax ACT

If a person has been in employment for over 10 years with a single employer his or final benefits are relieved by 25% and thus only 75% is subject to taxation

Business income: Businesses are allowed expenses incurred in generating their incomes as stipulated in the Income tax section 22. In addition, for small taxpayers whose annual turnover in a year of income is below 150M are taxed under the presumptive tax regime, which assesses you depending on your income generated in a year of income.

Rental Income: For companies, 50% is allowed as a deduction and 50% of the income is subjected to 30% tax. For the rental incomes of individuals, their incomes are taxed at 12% with no exemption

Property Income like dividends, interest, bonds

This depended on the rates prescribed in Income tax Act

Trading licence

If I pay my trading license, do I have to Pay URA again?

Yes, trading license are for the local councils where your business operates, whereas for URA, you pay taxes on the profits earned out of your business.

Isn’t this double taxation?

No because, the amount paid as trading license is allowed as a deduction in your business before you charge 30% on your profits for URA.

Registration for taxes on my TIN

Do I have to register for all these taxes and pay for them?

No, you only register the tax, which relates to your business activity. For example if you have rentals or real estates, you register for the rental income. If you have other business like a saloon, workshop or others, you register for business income

Purchase of goods and services above 5M

Make sure that it is mandatory to use TINS in all your transactions. Do not purchase or incur any expense above 5M from suppliers with no TIN

Implication

  • Such expenses will not be allowable for tax purposes if incurred from taxpayers with no TINS.
  • Do not use wrong Tax numbers in your returns as this will cause you penalties

How do I minimize on the output tax payable?

  • You may deal in exempt or zero-rated products in your business.
  • When buying from suppliers use your business TIN to benefit from input VAT

VAT claimed on hotels accommodations.

VAT on hotel bills and accommodation is not allowed for tax purposes and will be denied by the tax authority if claimed through your returns.

VAT on telephone. Bills

Due to failure by the Authority to know the extent of usage for the telephone bills between business and personal use, the law requires you to claim only 18% of 90% of VAT charged.

Implication.

Failure to bide by the rule the excess claimed will not be allowed for tax purposes

Bad debts

  • If there is any bad debts written off in your reports, have you complied with section 24 subsection 2 of the income tax act? Have you taken all the reasonable steps to recover the debt and failed?
  • Has the debt been in existence for more than two years?
  • Have you made any provisions on bad debts? Is this provision added back under tax computation if not, then your tax computation is not right

Provision tax returns: At year-end, you must file the final income tax return and pay taxes, which are due, and at the same time make a provision for the next year.

The provision may be made for six months or for the full year. Once there are changes in what you provided for, you are liberty to make changes before the six months expire.

Where you under declare your provisions by 90%, then you will be penalized to pay 20% as penalty for the underprovison under section 51 of the Tax procedures code.

Solutions

  • Always plan your taxes and where possible make prudent provisions on time
  • Make sure that Advance taxes are paid
  • Make use of all the advance taxes paid in the provisions and WHT at a time when you are filling your tax returns.

Classification of Operating Expenses: Make sure that in your chart of accounts the expenses are classified very well according to their nature and utilization to enable the Tax Authority allow them as per section 22 of the Income tax act.

Avoid classification of operating expenses as

  • other administrative expense
  • miscellaneous expenses
  • uncategorized expenses or
  • other allowances

The reason for this is that such poor classification will deny your firm a deduction before deriving the chargeable income for tax computation and thus will suffer a 30% tax on them

It must be noted that taxes are like blood and oxygen in our bodies. The absence of these tissues and blood make our bodies’ dysfunction. Likewise, tax revenues are critical to fund growth, enhancing public infrastructure and services to the government, much as the tax policy and administration plays a key role in directing productive and sustainable economic activity and simplifying to us how taxes can be done or paid. It is our responsibility to make sure that we are very clear on how we operate, plan our tax strategies, and how we classify our expenses and adherence to tax laws is very critical for the sustainability of our businesses.

The Writer Is a Ugandan Tax Consultant

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are solely for and belong to the author/ writer. They don’t reflect, portray or represent Accord Communications limited, it’s affiliates, owners or employees.  If you have a story in your community or an opinion article, let’s publish it. Send us an email via ultimatenews19@gmail.com or WhatsApp +255769138299

Major Gen Nabasa Starts Community Outreaches On Peace In Karamoja

By
Linda Njoroge
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0
Major Gen Don William Nabasa and Commandant ASTU commisioner Erias Kasirabo and RPC Francis Chemusto with the community during the community outreach mobilization in Lokopo, Napak district on Friday (Photo by Steven Ariong

After the Turkana pastoralists grazing their animals  in Karamoja killed three Uganda government geologists in Moroto in March 2022, Gen Muhonzi Kainerugaba then commander land forces assured the armed Karimojong and Turkana in Karamoja he was going to take hell to them.

Major Gen Don William Nabasa and Commandant ASTU commissioner Erias Kasirabo and RPC Francis Chemusto with the community during the outreach mobilization in Lokopo, Napak district-PHOTO BY STEVEN ARIONG

After his tweet that went viral  and condemnation from many people, UPDF and Astu police indeed swung in action flashing out all the Turkana pastoralists back to Kenya. That operation led to the arrest of many pastoralists some of whom are still in jail and others released.

The joint forces intensified serious operations against the armed criminals, however criminals also never gave up carrying out their activities and cattle rustling. Despite the presence of heavily armed joint forces in the region, the rustlers have continued engaging in raiding.

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But with the coming of the new 3rd  division new commander Major Gen Don William Nabasa, he has introduced a new approach which has greatly been welcomed by elders, youth and peace loving people.

Major Gen Don William Nabasa the 3rd division commander and Commissioner Erias Kasirabo commandant of ASTU and RPC Francis Chemusto addressing the media-PHOTO BY STEVEN ARIONG

Gen Nabasa has since launched community based outreach approach meeting with all criminals, women and youth in their villages calling for end in cattle rustling and handover guns peaceful to the security.

On Friday last week Gen Nabasa accompanied by commissioner of police who’s also commander of Anti-stock theft Unit of police Erias Kasirabo started community outreach led program in Lokopo sub county in Napak district.

The people who attended the first meeting were Karimojong youth from Kotido, Moroto,Napak and Abim and they were accompanied by their political leaders.

During the engagement, Kasirabo urged the Karimojong to stop criminality and get engaged into productive activities such as farming, business and sending children to school.

In his remarks Gen Nabasa said his main objective for Karamoja is to plant a mark stone of peace through dialogue and harmony among the Karimojong and their neighbors. The Jolly and happy but also a nonsense speaking Gen told political leaders in Karamoja to lead by example.

“Let’s love our country, our region Karamoja, we should utilise the available resources for developing our region”- said Nabasa

Paul Komol the district chairperson of Kotido hailed the approach by the General saying Karamoja needs dialogue.

If you have a story in your community or an opinion article, let’s publish it. Send us an email via ultimatenews19@gmail.com or WhatsApp +255769138299

French Voters Flock To Le Pen As Anti-Macron Sentiment Fuels Right-Wing Populism

By
Agencies
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French voters are increasingly more supportive of French nationalist Marine Le Pen and the conservative policies advocated by National Rally (RN), new polling suggests.

A new survey conducted by Ifop-Fiducial for the Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and Sud Radio revealed that more than four in 10 French voters (41 percent) want to see Le Pen dethrone incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron at the next election, an increase in popularity of seven percentage points from 2021.

Similarly, 42 percent of respondents confirmed they have voted for a candidate affiliated with Le Pen’s National Rally in the past, seven percentage points more than in 2021.

The numbers show a considerable swing towards the right of French politics, and they are a marked improvement for Le Pen who received 23.2 percent of the first-round vote in the presidential election last April.

She later received 41.5 percent of the second-round vote in a run-off with the victorious Macron, who was reelected with 58.5 percent of the vote.

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The latest poll is consistent with other surveys that have shown the French electorate’s disillusionment with Macron, and more voters are seeing Marine Le Pen as a viable alternative to the status quo.

A poll published in April revealed that Le Pen would defeat Macron by double digits, with 55 percent of the vote, and members of President Macron’s Renaissance party are concerned at the current trajectory.

“I have the impression of a tsunami advancing,” said Jacqueline Macquet, a Renaissance MP.

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Russia Launches Overnight Rain Of Air Attacks On Ukraine From East To West

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Agencies
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Russia launched a widespread overnight air attack on Ukraine targeting the capital and cities from east to west as most of the country spent the night with air raid sirens blasting for several hours.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that according to preliminary information, Ukraine’s air defence systems shot down 28 out of 30 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched.

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About 20 enemy targets were identified and destroyed by the forces and our air defence in the airspace around Kyiv, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Another massive air attack on the capital,” Popko said.

The military administration of Lviv, a city of about 700,000 people and 70 kms (43 miles) from the border with the NATO country of Poland, said Russia hit a “critical infrastructure” in the city, sparking fire.

According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties.

Yuriy Malashko, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region in southeast Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia’s raid targeted telecommunication infrastructure and agriculture and farming properties.

There were no casualties reported in Zaporizhzhia.

The top military command said that Russia launched seven missiles in the attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to preliminary reports.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

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China’s Underground Market For High-end Nvidia AI chips, See Details

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Agencies
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HONG KONG/SHENZHEN, China, June 20 (Reuters) – Psst! Where can a Chinese buyer purchase top-end Nvidia (NVDA.O) AI chips in the wake of U.S. sanctions?

Visiting the famed Huaqiangbei electronics area in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is a good bet – in particular, the SEG Plaza skyscraper whose first 10 floors are crammed with shops selling everything from camera parts to drones. The chips are not advertised but asking discreetly works.

They don’t come cheap. Two vendors there, who spoke with Reuters in person on condition of anonymity, said they could provide small numbers of A100 artificial intelligence chips made by the U.S. chip designer, pricing them at $20,000 a piece – double the usual price.

While buying or selling high-end U.S. chips is not illegal in China, U.S. export restrictions have created a de facto underground market with vendors keen not to draw scrutiny from either U.S. or Chinese authorities.

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President Joe Biden’s administration in September ordered Nvidia to stop exporting its two most advanced chips – the A100 and the recently developed H100 – to mainland China and Hong Kong, part of efforts to stymie Chinese AI and supercomputing development amid intensifying political and trade tensions. That was then followed up with an array of semiconductor-related export controls.

But, as AI booms across the globe after the runaway success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, demand for high-end chips has rocketed, particularly for Nvidia’s microprocessors which are widely regarded as the best at handling machine-learning tasks.

“We are talking with two vendors now to get some,” said Ivan Lau, co-founder of Hong Kong’s Pantheon Lab who is trying to purchase 2-4 new A100 cards to run the startup’s latest AI models.

Those vendors, who bought the chips outside the U.S., were quoting HK$150,000 ($19,150) per card, he said, adding: “They told us straight up that there will be no warranty or support.”

Reuters spoke with 10 vendors in Hong Kong and mainland China who described being able to easily procure small numbers of A100s. Their information highlighted both intense demand in China for the chips and the relative ease with which Washington’s sanctions can be circumvented for small-batch transactions.

Reuters was not able to estimate overall volumes of Nvidia A100 and H100 chips flowing into China or learn to what extent the transactions taking place go towards satisfying demand.

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KASESE SCHOOL ATTACK: 24 Bodies Given To Relatives, 17 Await DNA Tests As Parents Rush To Withdraw Their Children From Boarding Schools

By
Linda Njoroge
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As theories surrounding the attack on the Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe near the Ugandan boarder with Congo in Kasese, reports indicate that 24 bodies of the students who were killed by assailants said to be Allied Democratic Forces.

New details especially from state house are de-linking the attack from the ADF and instead sighting wrangles in the ownership of the Canada funded Peter Hunter Lhubiriha SS Nyabugaando between the Canadian sponsors and the host community.

According to the first lady Janet Museveni who didn’t go to Kasese due to Covid-19 protocols at State lodge Nakasero revealed that the said ADF criminals but could have been hired by rivals claiming ownership of the school.

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“There’s an impression that perhaps the terrorist group may have been used by the people who were fighting to take over the school to do what they have done….there have been groups in Kasese who wanted to take it over, but because the school was built by a non governmental organization (NGO), there has been that conflict”-said Janet Museveni

Security has since arrested the director of the school a one Tom Nelson for questioning as as investigators widen the scope to ownership wrangles which have now taken centre stage.

24 bodies of the victims have since been handed to their respective families for burial as 17 who were burnt beyond recognition await DNA tests at the Fort portal regional referral hospital.

In a new twist following this attack, reports indicate that parents in Kasese and it’s neighborhoods have started withdrawing their children from boarding schools despite the army’s heightened security beef up.

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Karamoja Youths Threaten To Abandon NRM Over Mabaati Thieves

By
Steven Ariong
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NRM MPs During A Caucus Retreat In Kyankwanzi

Karamoja. President Museveni and the entire NRM will lose votes in the next general elections in Karamoja should his leadership continue massaging officials implicated in stealing iron sheets and other billions of money meant to transform Karamoja.

This warning comes from a group of youth who have been active mobilizers of NRM party across Karamoja region. NRM has been considered to be only party enjoying untouched support when it comes into general elections.

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Moses Lokiru the youth mobilizer for Kotido town council says they were not satisfied with just arrests and remand of the officials and ministers implicated in the stealing of items meant for Karamoja.

“We are not seeing any benefit of these people being arrested and sent to prisons just for two weeks and they come out after gaining their bail right and walk freely when the people are supposed to receive services from the billions of money they abused are suffering”- Lokiru says

Last week Inspector of Government arrested and arraigned to anti corruption court seven officials from the office of the prime minister for embezzling Shs5billion.

The officials who were sent to Luzira prisons and given bail  include Geoffrey Sseremba who is undersecretary/Accounts officer in OPM, Deogratious Masigazi (Undersecretary/head of department pacification and development program, Joshua Abaho (Senior Assistant Secretary and Barbra Asasira (Principal Assistant commissioner programs)

Others are Emmy Tonny Amenu Assistant commissioner programs and Peter Amodoi program officer and Samuel Ofungi senior Assistant secretary.

According to Lokiru its unfortunate that even the real Karimojong son of the soil got attempted and steal from what is supposed to help his own people.

“IGG should come down and check on the property owned by Amodoi Peter which i is in 1000 of Cattle, many buildings in Moroto and Kampala, petrol stations and make calculations with his monthly  earning”-says Lokiru

John Moru another youth from Nakapiripirit says the massive theft of Karamoja items now makes them hard to go and convince people to support the party.

“I don’t know what they will do next elections maybe ferrying soldiers to come and vote but the real people in Karamoja have promised never to vote massively NRM in the next elections until they see the heavy punishment on those who stole items belonging to them including ministers of Karamoja Marry Goreti Kitutu and her deputy Agnes Naduutu who stole iron sheets”-says Moru

The two ministers were arrested and remanded to prisons but all of them are now free in their offices no single recovery has been made.

Muzee Mark Loputhyang from Namalu sub-county in Nakapiripirit district says the mistake the people of Karamoja did was voting all the leaders across the region in one party. Loputhyang further advises the region to change and atleast vote atleast 80% of the MPs to be in opposition so that government can wake up to do the right things in Karamoja

“All these mess is happening in Karamoja because all the members of parliament, district chairpersons, councilors  are all in NRM ticket which makes it hard to challenge government in anything wrong. Look at Acholi region where they have mixed leaders, there’s a lot of development there but now here nothing. “-Mzee Louthyang reveals

Ever since President Museveni captured power, karamoja has been overwhelmingly voting for the NRM party.

This website learnt that Karamoja is the region that receives voting materials faster than other regions and its results are the fast to be announced but it’s the last to receive and benefit from the national cake and even if that national cake comes its meager.

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