Over a million farmers from across Uganda have petitioned parliament
calling for their support in refuting tax proposals on agricultural
implements.
Receiving their petition at parliament the speaker of parliament
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has said that the proposed taxes on
agricultural implements are liable to affect the famers because the
cost of farming will have gone high.
Alitwala Kadaga noted that parliament is going to expeditiously look
into the farmers’ concerns to ensure that these taxes are rejected
being that agriculture is the biggest employer in Uganda.
According to Kadaga this petition will be forward to the agriculture
and finance committees to discuss its content from which
recommendations will be made.

Sam Kasoma a farmer from Kasaala in Luweero district and Haji
SsengoobaBbwagu a farmer from Iganga district have called upon members
of parliament to come to their rescue in dismissing these tax
proposals.
Kasomaand Ssengooba have explained the high taxes on agricultural
implements will lead to increase in prices of other commodities thus
affecting the entire economy.

Meanwhile the lead petitioner Julius Nkunda from theCivil Society
Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG)has implored government to explore other
avenues of raising taxes other than taxing agriculture, a move that is
liable to block the process of agricultural modernization, further
noting that the poor farmers will be affected the most with the
introduction of these taxes.