MPs want tax exemption for CCTV cameras

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The proposal is contained in a motion by the Kasambya County MP Mbwatekamwa Gaffa that seeks to urge government to review the tax regime on Closed Circuit Television-CCTV security cameras and automotive tracking devices.

Close to 3,000 CCTV cameras planned for Kampala Metropolitan policing have been installed.

Mbwatekamwa wants Parliament to urge government to revoke taxes on CCTV cameras and automotive tracking devises so as to make them more affordable.

CCTV cameras incur import duty tax of 25%, 18% for Value Added Tax, and a withholding tax of 6%. This totals to 49% of tax on a CCTV set. This means if a CCTV camera costs 1 million shillings, for instance, the tax on it is 550.000 shillings, which makes it expensive for Ugandans to afford.

According to Mbwatekamwa, the advantages of the CCTV cameras are numerous as the police can identify criminals recorded on camera and prevent crimes from being committed.

“The police can identify criminals recorded with cameras; the police can prevent crimes from happening and can quickly solve criminal cases with material evidence from CCTV cameras. Cameras protect against property theft and vandalism and if there are no witnesses to a crime, the surveillance footage will aid police with Investigations”.

While reporting to Parliament in September, the Minister of Internal Affairs in a statement to Parliament on the security situation noted that acquiring CCTV cameras for private individuals is still expensive and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development was being engaged to review the tax regime on the CCTV cameras.

On several cases in Kampala murder and robbery incidents have been captured on CCTV Kampala.

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