Parliament has voted to establish a select committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the waiver of tax payments for gold exports, amounting to 573 billion Shillings.
The motion, which was introduced by the Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga, was passed with 36 legislators in favor and 28 against.
The committee's mandate is to investigate the agreements between the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and gold exporters that were not presented in Parliament, examine the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the statutory instrument, and assess issues associated with the minerals industry.
The inquiry comes after the Finance Committee recommended an investigation into the writing off of accumulated gold export revenue and the implications of the current legal provisions on resource mobilization.
In her statement to Parliament, Energy and Minerals Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the statutory instrument was issued to collect outstanding arrears from gold refiners and exporters committed to paying under indemnity agreements.
However, several MPs expressed disagreement with the Minister's statement and demanded a further inquiry into the matter.
