The head of the compensation committee for war debts claimants in Acholi sub region, Retired Justice Galdino Okello Moro has strongly protested the government’s proposal to tax compensation cash.
Justice Okello argues that cash meant for compensation should not be considered as an income but as a debt. He said it would have been appropriate if the government was taxing income, which is not the case with the war debt claimants’ money.
In a meeting held on December 2, 2021 in Kampala and chaired by the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah and attended by the retired Supreme Court Judge, and officials from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, it emerged that Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is one of the requirements for the claimants to access the compensation. A TIN is a unique ten-digit identifying number allocated by the Uganda Revenue Authority to prospective Taxpayers to enable them to meet their tax obligations.
In 2006, war debt claimants in Acholi sub region dragged the government to court demanding 4 trillion as compensation for their animals and property looted during the 1986 NRA Liberation war that brought President Museveni to power.
In Sept, the government released 150 billion shillings to compensate war claimants in Acholi, Lango and Teso, with each region entitled to 50 billion Shillings.