Buliisa to introduce property tax in FY2025/26

Buliisa: Authorities in the oil-rich Buliisa District have announced plans to introduce property tax collection starting in the Fiscal Year 2025/2026, as part of efforts to boost local revenue generation.

The announcement was made by James Isingoma, the District Accounts Officer, during a two-day engagement meeting held at Pearl Karvina Hotel in Buliisa Town Council over the weekend.

The meeting, organized by the Kakindo Integrated Women Development Agency (KAWIDA) in partnership with the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiation Institute (SEATINI), was aimed at reviewing the implementation of the district’s Revenue Enhancement Plan.

Isingoma emphasized the importance of educating the public on the value of paying taxes, stating, “As a district, we are preparing to begin collecting property taxes in the next financial year. We urge all stakeholders to help in educating taxpayers on the importance of fulfilling their tax obligations.”

He noted that, thanks to the efforts of KAWIDA and SEATINI, the district has made notable progress in revenue collection over the past three years. Presenting data, Isingoma outlined the district’s revenue performance.

In FY2022/2023, the district had a revenue target of UGX 800 million, but due to leakages in tax administration and non-compliance, only UGX 48 million was collected.

In FY2023/2024, the target was raised to UGX 1.074 billion, but just UGX 496 million was realized, attributed to slow tax education and limited public awareness.

For the current FY2024/2025, the district had set a conservative target of UGX 95 million. However, due to improved revenue strategies and the introduction of cashless payment systems, Buliisa has already collected UGX 826 million.

With this strong momentum, the district now forecasts collections of up to UGX 1.2 billion in FY2025/2026.

Isingoma commended tax collectors at the sub-county level for their dedication and called on political leaders and parish chiefs to support ongoing taxpayer education efforts.

Meanwhile, Vicent Mukonyezi, the District Vice Chairperson and Secretary for Finance, expressed his gratitude to KAWIDA and SEATINI for their ongoing support in mobilizing local revenue.

He urged the organizations to expand their activities to Upper Buliisa, particularly targeting underperforming sub-counties such as Kigwera and Biiso, which continue to lag behind in collections.

Mukonyezi also noted that since the involvement of KAWIDA and SEATINI, tax collections have significantly improved in urban areas like Biiso Town Council and Buliisa Town Council.

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