By Juma Magino
BUSIA
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) at One Stop Border Point of Busia have alleged that Persons With Disabilities ( PWDs) have intensified smuggling and are being used by traders to cross goods from Kenya to Uganda without paying taxes to the Government.
Among the goods mainly smuggled include; rice, flour, soap, detergent, clothes, spaghetti, electronics and others. Currently, people with disabilities are at liberty to cross between the two countries with their purchased goods not exceeding 25kgs.
Geoffrey Balamaga, the Eastern regional manager customs based at Tororo told this website today, 1st May, 2023 that PWDs at the border more especially at Busia OSBP are being used by Traders to smuggle goods which he says affects the market structure.
However, Mrs. Mwajuma Yahaya, the chairperson-for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Busia Municipality says that some officers in URA are not doing what is in line with the Government’s cross border trade strategy. She says the URA staff has failed to avail evidence concerning her members on smuggling goods on behalf of traders.
She said URA’s allegations are baseless because PWD’s are also engaged in trading so the goods they transfer from Kenya are for their own benefit, not other traders.
Richard Ouma Kwamusi , a businessman at Busia Border confirmed to our reporter that they indeed use PWDs to transport their goods due to high taxes demanded by Uganda Revenue Authority.
Last month, URA enforcement officers made a surprise visit in Busia municipality and got engaged in running battles with traders who sell smuggled goods in their stores. Their scuffle resulted in one of the URA staff attached to police’s counter Terrorism force getting seriously injured after getting hit by a blunt object from one of the traders.
