{UAH} Fish dealers protest new tax

Fish dealers protest new tax
Publish Date: Aug 24, 2013

By Moses Mulondo & Mary Karugaba

Fish dealers have petitioned Parliament's agriculture committee over the new levy on fish exports. In a bid to increase revenue to close the budget funding gap, the Government has introduced new taxes on exportation of fish caught in Uganda's waters.

According to the Finance Bill 2013, export of large fish species, whether fresh, smoked or salted, will attract a levy of 5 US cents (sh130) per kg Free on Board (FOB).

FOB means the price quoted by the seller including all charges up to placing the goods aboard a ship at the port of departure.

Exporters of small pelagic fish locally known as mukene, nkejje, ragoge and mmeziri will be required to pay 2 US cents (sh51) per kg while exporters of fish bladder (maws) will pay 20 US cents (sh520) per kg.

The Bill, already before the finance committee, says export of industrial by-products from fish such as fish frames, fat, skin, off-cuts and fish oil will attract 2 US cents (sh51) per kg.

According to the Bill, the levy shall be collected by the Uganda Revenue Authority and remitted to the Consolidated Account.

However, the dealers, under Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association (UFPEA) and Association of Fisheries and Lake Users of Uganda, want the Government to expedite the establishment of a modern and result-oriented policy, legal and regulatory framework to ensure better supervision and management of the sector before enforcing the levy.

"The private sector strongly believes that enforcing the levy proposed without updating the provisions of the existing policy and laws and putting in place a robust institutional arrangement will not effectively address the fisheries resources sustainability issues and the development of a vibrant aquaculture sub-sector," said Sujal Goswami, the UFPEA chairman.

He elaborated that if the levy is introduced in the current situation without policy and legal reforms, it would instead lead to further decline of the fisheries contribution to domestic and foreign earnings as well as the nutritional status of Uganda.

The vice-chairman, Philip Borel presented statistics indicating that decline in foreign earnings from the sectors arising from the Government's failure to eliminate illegal activities.

Whereas Uganda earned $117m from fish exports in 2007, the revenue declined to $88m in 2012.

"The fisheries sector is the second leading contributor of foreign earnings after coffee. If the Government regulates and invests in the sector, the country can get more earnings from it. There are so many unlicensed dealers working for 'big' people," Borel said.

The dealers also opposed the Government's proposal to stop fishing in Lake Victoria waters for six months to give it time to reverse the indiscriminate depletion of the fish resource brought about by inappropriate fishing practices.

Most of the committee MPs, led by Mathias Kasamba, also opposed the suspension, arguing it would render the over 1.3 million Ugandans who live off the lake.

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AROMA PATRICK-THE TRUE SON OF UGANDA!!!THIS IS MY COUNTRY!!!THIS IS MY MOTHERLAND-THE PEARL OF AFRICA DOES NOT BELONG TO THE MAFIAS ALONE,I WHO IS WALKING IN THE SHADOWS OF DEATH DAILY  AND LIVING  ON BORROWED TIMES  UNDER GOD'S PROTECTION  SINCE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD,BURIED SIX FEET UNDER-I,THE UNWANTED AND HATED,THE MOST VILIFIED AND SABOTAGED,THE DOWNTRODDEN AND CRIPPLED,THE INNOCENTLY DELIBERATELY TORTURED AND PERSECUTED IS ALSO A SHAREHOLDER AND A STAKEHOLDER WITH FULL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFORMATION IN ALL SECTORS AND SPHERES-NO GOING TO EXILE,NO RETREAT AND NO SURRENDER TO THE MAFIAS!!!THE END MUST SET ALL UGANDANS FREE AND CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL!!! "THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY,THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND THE RIGHT TO DIGNITY ARE NOT FAVORS TO BE BESTOWED BY ANYBODY:THEY ARE THE BIRTH RIGHT OF EVERY HUMAN BEING"DECLARES PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS BUSH WAR IN 1981!!!page 182-The Minds of Achievers-The Seeds of Greatness by GRACE MUSIIME MUGYENZI,Get a copy of this book at Uganda Book Shop-Opposite Communication House,Kampala.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

CAMKWOKI INVESTMENTS LIMITED

Dealers in General Merchandise, Agro Input and Chemicals and Agro- Processing

LIRA BUS PARK  SHOP NO:57/ LABOURLINE TRADING CENTER AND BAL-PE MARKET ON ALEBTONG-BARR ROAD 

P.O Box 268-LIRA,TEL:+256-782-658-458

 A VICTIM OF APARTHEID ETHNICALLY ENTRENCHED GENOCIDAL CUM TERRORIST MAFIA DICTATORSHIP OF MUSEVENI,SUPER -BLOODY MAFIA STRATEGIST AMAMA MBABAZI,THE DEADLY SAM ENGOLA/MUSEVENI LANGO HENCHMAN  AND THEIR MAFIAS OPPOSITION/LANGO MAFIA  NETWORKS PLUS A VICTIM OF NORTHERN UGANDA NRM GRAND HUMAN RESOURCE DESTRUCTION POLICY OF ITS POTENTIALS AND GRAND NRM ECONOMIC SABOTAGE PLANS TO KEEP THE NORTH PERPETUALLY IN POVERTY/TURN US INTO BEGGARS,A NORTHERN UGANDA GENOCIDE SURVIVOR,MY RIGHT LEG BROKEN ON 24/JUNE/2001 IN  FRONT OF SAM ENGOLA LIRA HOTEL IN THE PRESENCE OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARD BRIGADE WHO PROTECTED MUSEVENI IN LIRA WHILE CAMPAIGNING FOR SAM ENGOLA THAT DAY-SURVIVING DEATH MIRACULOUSLY DUE TO GOD'S PROTECTION  AND I ESCAPED SEVERAL MURDER ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE  RIGHT FROM 2000 TO DATE-POLITICALLY PERSECUTED,ECONOMICALLY SABOTAGED IN BUSINESS AND MY NGO PROJECTS, DENIED ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE/ EDUCATION-EXPELLED FROM MAKERERE UNIVERSITY IN FOURTH YEAR  WHILE PURSUING BACHELOR OF LAWS  AND COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED IN TERMS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT,SOCIALLY DISLOCATED -ISOLATED AND LIVING IN PAINED PHYSICALLY,MENTALLY,EMOTIONALLY WHILE SPIRITUALLY FOUGHT WITH NRM EVIL SPIRITS(MAYEMBES/KIFARO) AND CULTURALLY UPROOTED BECAUSE OF OPPOSING/DISAGREEING WITH MUSEVENI & HIS NRM MAFIA POLITICAL  PARTY,HAILING FROM A WRONG REGION/ TRIBE/CLAN .I PATRICK AROMA TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AFFIRM AND CONFIRM THAT WHAT I HAVE STATED HERE IS THE TRUTH AND THE WHOLE TRUTH NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS BEING DONE TO YOU OR YOUR SON BY YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT??? A MAFIA GOVERNMENT IN MY OWN MOTHERLAND WHO HATES TO SEE MY PROGRESS, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY -IF THIS IS NOT APARTHEID THEN WHAT IS IT ??? FROM 1999-2004 I WAS ON TEL:NO 0772-621-761 which MTN MADE IT IN ACCESSIBLE/BLOCKED AND LATER SOLD TO ANOTHER PERSON BEFORE TAKING ON 0782-658-458.ALL MY COMMUNICATIONS AT THAT MATERIAL TIME CAN BE ACCESSED ON 0772-621-761. 

MY FIFTY YEARS DEADLY JOURNEY TO THE GOLDEN TRAGEDIES OF OUR MOTHERLAND-WHY I NEVER CELEBRATED THE  JUBILEE!!!

1962-1975-1 was not yet born

1976-1979-IDI AMIN MURDERED MY UNCLES THE LATE HON: AROMA MARTIN,EMOR BEN AND MY FATHER THE LATE PETER OGWAL 

1980-1986

WE SURVIVED ON RELIEF FOOD (YELLO POSHO +BEANS) under very difficult conditions as orphans though we had plenty of cattle that was eventually stolen by NRM/UPDF

1986-2000 My Childhood Destruction

NRA/UPDF STOLE ALL OUR CATTLE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AFTER THEM AND RAPED MY COUSIN SISTER IN MY PRESENCE

Museveni SURAMBAYA FIGHTER JETS BOMBS OUR HOME VILLAGE-FIVE KILOMETERS FROM LIRA TOWN AND I SURVIVED AS MANY INNOCENT CIVILIANS WERE KILLED PLUS LIVE STOCKS

Alice Lakwena War BEGAN that really exposed us to a lot of dead bodies bombed,shot and cut with matchetes LYING LIFELESS FROM OUR VILLAGE TO LIRA TOWN

Gen: David Tinyefuza OPERATIONS NORTH where even Children were not spared KIBOKO-we were thoroughly caned by UPDF as they arrested the 18 famous Northern Uganda Politicians at that material time

2000-2012

NRA Mafias start my PERSECUTION at Makerere University

Breaking of my leg

Expulsion from Makerere

Museveni STATE HOUSE PLUS THEIR MAFIA NETWORKS ON MY HOT PURSUIT DEVISING ALL STRATEGIES TO MURDER ME

 2012 ON WARDS

• STILL SURVIVING THE MAFIAS,LIVING IN FEAR AND PAIN,BEING HUNTED LEFT,RIGHT AND CENTER BY MAFIAS PLUS THEIR NETWORKS.
• ON 29/JANUARY/2004 DURING RADIO ONE EKIMEEZA TALKSHOW AT CLUB OBBLIGATTO I REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF MUSEVENI CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION BOUGHT FROM NORTH KOREA AND IRAN-THAT WAS HIDDEN UNDER GULU AIRPORT HUNKER AND THE UNITED NATIONS GRABBED,DESTROYED AND TOOK AWAY THE REMAINING ONES TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION-THIS IS ONE REASON WHY PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND HIS MAFIAS CAN NEVER-NEVER-I SAY NEVER FORGIVE ME SINCE I EXPOSED AND SPOILED THEIR DEADLY DESTRUCTIVE AGENDA FOR NORTHERN UGANDA!!!

ON-TOP OF THE ABOVE,NO TERM LIMITS PROMOTING LIFE PRESIDENCY, CREATING HOPELESSNESS, UNCERTAINTY & CONSOLIDATING APARTHIED PLUS TRIBALISM, THERE IS MASSIVE POVERTY,UNEMPLOYMENT,HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES,IMPUNITY,MURDERS,INEQUALITY,GENOCIDE,DISUNITY IN THE COUNTRY,ETC