The Uganda Banker’s Association, a body that brings together commercial banks in the country has asked all its members to ignore a request by Uganda Revenue Authority to avail information about Ugandans that use their services.
According to the association, URA wrote to all Banks requesting them to furnish it with all financial records of Uganda’s banked population.
The tax authority further requested for people’s TINs, NINS, and Physical Addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, the total cash deposits into individual accounts, for the period January 2016 to December 2017.
URA also asked banks to avail individuals’ total cash withdraws from their accounts for the aforementioned period, and current balance. According to URA, the request is based on Clause 42 of the Procedure Code Act which allows the Commissioner to give notice to any person from whom it seeks to obtain information.
But in response, the Uganda Bankers association told URA, that her members wrote to the body seeking for guidance, and that the association advised them not to comply pending direction from the regulator.
The letter written by the association’s Executive Director, Mr. Wilfred Humphreys Owor, is copied to the Director Commercial Banking, Bank of Uganda, Commissioner General Uganda revenue authority, Chairman Uganda Bankers’ Association, all Bank CEOs and PriceWaterhouseCoopers limited.
URA has in the past struggled to tax every individual’s income, but failed. Recently, companies were requested to pay out any money including salaries to people without TINs, however this remains a challenge to the commission.
