Oboth Backs Harmonised Tax Regime for Private Schools

What the report says

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has backed a push by private school proprietors for a harmonised tax regime, saying Parliament will review proposals to remove overlapping levies from central and local government. The remarks were made after he met a delegation from the National Private Educational Institutions Association-Uganda (NPEIA), led by MP Michael Mawanda, at Parliament in Kampala.

According to Nile Post, Oboth argued that private schools provide an important public service and support government’s education delivery, so unpredictable or duplicated taxation could affect how they operate. He said the legislature would examine the proposal for a single-tax system and also look at concerns about access to affordable financing.

The Speaker said Parliament would consider the association’s request for low-cost credit through the Uganda Development Bank. He also said private schools make up a large part of Uganda’s education system, including nursery, primary and secondary institutions, and employ many teachers. In that context, he challenged NPEIA to work with government on the causes of primary school dropout, saying the issue needs to be better understood to shape responses.

Oboth added that he would attend NPEIA’s Regional Education Conference on December 10, which he said would offer more opportunity to discuss the pressures facing private education providers. The broader issue matters because private schools remain a significant part of education access and employment in Uganda.