By Peter Ssebulime
Just three years after ascending at the helm of the Uganda’s Tax collection body, she has scooped a major continental Award!
Ms.Doris Akol, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General, has received the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Person of the Year Public Service Excellence Award 2018.
Additionally, she was inducted into ALM’s Chief Executive Officers Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
According to the institution’s website, the Persons of the Year Award is received by the continent’s best political, diplomatic and business leaders contributing to the growth and development on the continent.
“The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Award, which is in its 6th run, is in keeping with our tradition of presenting the sides of the continent, which hardly finds placement on the global mainstream media, and celebrating exemplary leadership and individuals who have contributed to shaping the global perception of the African continent. This group of Africans are the Game-Changers, who are doing things differently towards re-positioning the African continent,” read a statement on the magazine website.
Regarding the hall of fame induction, it stated, “The African Leadership CEO’s Hall of Fame will be an exclusive club of top chief executives from across the continent who have continuously exhibited a passion and commitment to diligence, success and transformational leadership in their bid to make Africa prosperous”.
Akol was commended for spearheading engagements with the business community, providing accountability platforms for revenue collected as well as for the Servant Leadership displayed in the #servedbytheCG campaign.
Plaques signifying the Award and the Hall of fame conscription, were handed over to URA officials Sarah Banage and Vincent Seruma at the weekend, both attached to the Commissioner General’s Office.
The event was held at the Santdon Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa on February 24, 2018.
Responding to the news, Akol, in a tweet stated, “Kudos to the entire team @URAUganda. This is continental acknowledgement of your excellence in service delivery”
The news caused excitement among URA staff, who applauded Akol and shared it on social media. Akol attributed her latest accolade to staff who, she argued, excellently executed the initiatives for which she and indeed URA were recognized.
In addition to ensuring that Government has revenue to offer services, Akol has created strategic partnerships with local and international institutions. She has also instilled among her team a culture of service and providing solutions to clients’ challenges.
The African Leadership Magazine published by African Leadership (UK) Limited, is a company registered in the United Kingdom. It focuses “on bringing the best of Africa to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges being faced by the continent today”.
Its mission is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and development in Africa, hence championing the emergence of a new Africa.
According to the website, profits from the magazine are “ploughed” into providing a future for vulnerable children of Africa through the Send a Child to School Programme.
The magazine wholly supports the program in collaboration with the African Leadership Development Foundation, Inc. USA, the Betwixt and Between Foundation, USA and the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development Nigeria.
Akol has in the past been acknowledged locally and internationally for her role in leadership, women empowerment and tax administration.
URA is a semi-autonomous institution established in September 1991 by Act of Parliament. The institution’s mandate is assessing, collecting and accounting for tax and non-revenue to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
