URA threatens to revoke agents licences over delays in meeting clearing targets

Uganda Revenue Authority has threatened to revoke licenses of clearing and forwarding companies that in the last 11 months failed to clear consignment in a period of one and half days to two day.

According to Dicksons Kateshumbwa, the commissioner customs at the tax collecting body, many put the blame of delays on URA yet it’s clearing agents that fail to do their job.

This was during a clearing and forwarding licensing event where the tax body has setup a tight key performance indicator for the licensed customs agents.

URA was tasked to collect shs16 trillion for financial year 2018/2019 and this comes with time management.

With this the tax body has a target of reducing the time taken to clear cargo from 3 and above days to 2 days.

It’s here that the tax body has decided to revoke clearing and forwarding agents’ licenses that didn’t hit the target in the last 11 months.

Kateshumbwa charged that, "You people waste a lot of time with people’s containers and they put pressure on URA, now it’s upon you to keep on delaying or lose your license."

In the last 11 months only 42% of the licensed companies managed to clear their goods with in a 2 days target that was given by URA, 27% managed to clear between 2 and half and 3 days

Although many tried to hit the set target, 121(31%) companies had consignments delayed for over 4 and above days.

The move to revoke licenses will not also spare clearing and forwarding agents that have committed more customs offenses in the last 11 months. The tax body has registered 119 customs offenses.

The offenses include under declaration whereas other tend to give wrong code of their consignments in order to avoid taxes.