Oboth Pledges Review of Tax Regime Affecting Private Schools

What the report says

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth Marksons has said lawmakers will examine Uganda’s tax regime for private schools after a meeting with the National Private Educational Institutions Association-Uganda (NPEIA) at Parliament. The discussion focused on complaints from school operators about overlapping taxes, multiple levies from different levels of government, and limited access to affordable credit.

According to the Nile Post report, Oboth said private schools should be viewed as providers of an essential public education service, not only as commercial businesses. He told the delegation that Parliament would consider the issue in upcoming legislative and policy work, while also stressing that education institutions still require oversight and operating licences to preserve standards. He asked NPEIA to submit a more detailed account of where multiple taxation is affecting the sector.

The association, led by MP Michael Mawanda and national chair Hasadu Kirabira, argued that the sector is large and central to Uganda’s education system. NPEIA said private providers operate most schools at different levels and educate millions of children, while also employing large numbers of teachers and support staff. It asked Parliament to support a harmonised tax framework, better access to Uganda Development Bank financing, and stronger public-private partnership arrangements. The group also raised concerns about taxes on equipment and chemicals, teacher shortages, and policy implementation challenges. Oboth later urged the association to help examine primary school dropout patterns and accepted an invitation to its December 10 conference in Kampala.