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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA has written to the Minister in charge of Kampala Beti Namisango Kamya requesting that the 44 billion shillings of tax arrears be written off as a bad debt.
In a letter dated 3rd July 2019, KCCA Standing Committee on Revenue Chairperson Doreen Sabuka says KCCA accumulated 44 billion shillings in property rate arrears over six years ago in the divisions.
According to the Local government Act, as amended in 2006, local governments are supposed to collect tax and arrears within six years from when the tax is due.
The Act also gives local government the mandate to institute an action to recover the money.
This includes serving the defaulter a notice seeking payment. If payment is not done within fourteen days, the Local government can report the matter to the magistrate’s court in the area where the property is situated.
Sabuka says that the committee has received numerous petitions from people who say that they have debts dating back more than four years ago.
The most recent petition is from Kawala where residents sought intervention of Lord Mayor and the council to have the debts written off.
Sabuka says council wants the Attorney General through the Minister to advice on how this should be handled. She suggests that the arrears be written off as a bad debt.
In the same letter, the committee is also seeking Attorney general’s guidance on who is mandated to appoint a valuation surveyor to conduct the valuation exercise.
According to the Local government Act, it is the mandate of government to appoint a person who is a qualified and registered valuation surveyor and who holds a valid practicing certificate under the surveyors Registration Act of valuer.
KCCA technical wing handled the entire valuation exercise including appointing the valuation surveyor. The rest of the valuation team members were brought on board after advertisement.
The Council headed by Lukwago wants the Attorney General to guide on who in government has the powers to appoint and or what the process of appointment is.
Sabuka says that this is not to discredit or display discontent of the work made by the valuer and the team but to get a proper stand on the appointing powers.
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