URA lays out strategies to attain the financial year target for 2015/16

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has laid out plans to financial year targets for 2015/16. Commissioner Customs Department, URA Mr Kateshumbwa Dicksons told the Media at URA head office Nakawa that the below strategies are meant to increase to finances to the authority.

Revenue Target

The revenue target for Customs Department in the financial year 2015/16 is 4,840.68bn 13.55% increase from the target of last financial year 2014/15 which was 4,262.99bn. This target accounts for 45% of the overall revenue target.

URA’s Kateshumbwa Dicksons

The Strategies to attain Target include;

Structural alignment by Strengthening leadership, Transfer of staff, splitting of large areas of supervision. This is expected to minimize supervision gaps, improve efficiency and accountability.

Enhance risk management; Creation of a National Targeting Centre which is to improve business analysis of trends, selectivity and profiling. There will also be Deployment of a real time Risk managing solution.

Improve physical examination of cargo; Development of a verification manual- to guide the process of verification of 30 high risk goods this is expected to minimize inconsistencies in the clearance of goods and improve valuation of goods thus revenue.

Monitoring of cargo: Enhance electronic monitoring of cargo from Mombasa to Country of destination. This is expected to minimise cases of diversion of cargo.  [adrotate banner=”3″]

Prosecution of Offenders; since 1st October, 12 cases of smuggling have been successfully prosecuted and the offenders sentenced. 06 cases are in the court process with the offenders awaiting mention. 07 cases are in the process of Investigation pending prosecution. Such cases include; 1200 bags of wheat flour from Tanzania undeclared offender remanded.

Swaze Pass was arrested at Pakwach on 5th Oct with 102 bombers and 5 packets of super match cigarettes from South Sudan.

Pembe wheat flour 70 cartons x12 packets in impounded in Malaba Prosecution of offenders is intended to curb the Smuggling vice which has been on the increase. The alternative of compounding offences and payment of fines has been ‘convenient’ to those involved in smuggling.

System Enhancements: use of automated valuation controls, Upgrade of ASYCUDA World to a higher version, Introduction of the Electronic single window to improve interface with business and OGAs.