By Peter Ssebulime
After 25 years of work as a top tier tax administrator, Doris Akol, who is the outgoing Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General, on Thursday handed over office to John Rujoki Musinguzi, who was recently appointed to head the tax body.
Speaking at the handover ceremony which took place in the Office of the Commissioner General at URA, Akol noted that change is normal and good for future leaders. It is also a step of growth and expansion for URA. Akol has served for 15 years in senior leadership positions at URA, plus 5 years and 5 months as Commissioner General.
In her speech, she revealed that chief among her achievements while at URA is the increase in revenue collection from Shs.8 trillion when she took over, to shs.16.6 trillion last financial year 2018/19. Others were the expansion of the tax register from 632,000 taxpayers to 1.5 million taxpayers, five completed and operational One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) out of six, availability of many tax payment options, I.T solutions and applications used to collect tax and expansion of tax education to include financial literacy, among others. URA is today a single collection point of government revenue.
A jovial Akol emphasized that URA is a robust and well-respected revenue administration in the region and all over the African continent.
“URA is a much sought after destination for other revenue administrators the world over who come to learn from us how to do things right,” Akol said shortly before she handed over the instruments of power.
Juma Kisaame, the URA Board Chairman, also took time to welcome the new Commissioner General, noting that he has come at a time when URA has clear systems and processes that will make his work easy.
He urged Rujoki to build upon Akol’s achievements so as to take URA to even greater horizons. He further advised him to improve and strengthen staff capacity and competence development as leverage for improved productivity.
On his part, Rujoki, who is the 6th Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority, said that “It is an honour and my affirmation to serve Uganda in this capacity, through the oath I took this morning.”
