Jinja: The Businesses community in Jinja City on Wednesday April 17, 2024, joined the rest of the urban areas to implement the anti-EFRIS campaign aiming to raise voices against the ‘challenging’ initiative introduced by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
URA in January 2021 initiated the Electronic Fiscal Receiting and Invoicing Solution Server (EFRIS) to ensure tax compliance among traders in the country. The system implementation has since been low until URA, in collaboration with the Uganda police force, recently embarked on its enforcement.
In protest against what traders describe as deadly system, the anti-EFRIS was launched by the Kampala City Traders Association (KASITA) in the Uganda capital, Kampala, demanding government to revise the EFRIS initiative that is negatively affecting vendors with products taxed thrice.
The traders, through their unions across the country, resorted to mobilizing colleagues to close business until the government addresses the challenge. The campaign now reaches the eastern Jinja city with leaders of the Jinja City and district Traders Association emphasising the closure of shops.
By 9am, shops in the city centre along mainstreet, Nizam, Kutch, Alice Mulooki, and Alidina roads among other streets in the city surburbs were closed. The sit-down was fueled by Mr Juma Muyita Mukose, the chairperson of Jinja traders, who told reporters on Tuesday that businesses will not work in the next days until the government intervenes.
“The demonstration is aimed at raising our voices to government so that the matter is sorted,” he said on Tuesday.
Amidst closure of the shops, intensified joint security patrols were observed in the Jinja city and the rural district, which SP James Mubi the spokesperson of Kiira region police stressed that they were ensuring no closure of businesses, intimidation and any other disruptive behavior by their purported team leaders.
“Kiira regional Police command reaffirms commitment to protect all traders and the business community under their apex body Jinja Traders Association,” said Mubi.
“The general public is hereby informed to continue conducting or operating day to day businesses, back and forth movement of people, vehicles and motorcycles in and around the city without any form of intimidation from suspected culprits intending to breach public peace and order,” said Mubi.
Police confirmed that the Jinja Traders Association exhibited cordial cooperation and coordination and remained nonviolent amidst the calls to sit down and express dissatisfaction.
He said; “Continuous stakeholders harmonious meetings are ongoing to ensure a win-win situation from all parties.”
