The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has gifted taxpayers with a car, a Bajaj Qute, in the concluding taxpayers’ appreciation week at the Kololo Independence grounds.

This is to be given to a lucky taxpayer tomorrow, Friday. The appreciation week started on September 26th and is to end on September 28^th.

The winner of the car ought to be a business person or allied to a company that has at least consistently paid taxes till now.

According to Patrick Kaweesi, the Space Manager URA, the tax authority has put up the car gift as appreciation to taxpayers.

The car is a four-sitter and consumes one litre petrol per 25 kilometres. It is a Bajaj company make and thus the name Bajaj Qute. It goes for 17 million Shillings on the market. URA received it from Bajaj, an Indian registered company, as a gift and in return URA has put it up as gift.

The procedure to win the car is: Having a tax identification number (TIN), filling the TIN in a ticket form and dropping the ticket into a draw bin. This will be shuffled and the lucky taxpayer will win the car.

"I am eagerly waiting for a win tomorrow. I work with Spear Motors and equally pay other taxes as a citizen hence I stand a chance,” said Lutakoome Emma.

During a press conference at Kololo, the minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, thanked URA for what she called a great gesture. She asked Ugandans to continue paying taxes which will in turn enable government provide improved services.

URA collected 14.4 trillion Shillings in the 2017/2018 financial year, an increase of 1.74 trillion compared to 2016/2017 financial year.

Doris Akol, the URA commissioner-General in one of her statements said that 14.46 trillion shillings is the highest amount the tax body has collected in the past few years.

The tax body however says it has equipped the forensics document department to investigate and handle cases of tax evasion.

Ronald Muhumuza, an official with forensics department said that their role is to establish tax evasion through the investigative, intelligence, forensics and science units. They root out document forgery, fraud and acting as a whistle blower as well to the public. He added that the department annually handles 100 cases on average and investigations range between six months to infinity.

Bajaj Qute

The makers of this car, initially called the RE60, describe it as more of a quadricycle than a car. It carries the attributes of a three-wheeler as well as those of a car.

“It is compact, lightweight, and has a carbon footprint that is 37% lesser than the smallest car available,” they say on their website, https://www.bajajauto.com/bajajqute/aboutus.html.