Museveni assents to 19 Bills, including VAT and NGO Amendments

Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | President Yoweri Museveni has signed 19 recently passed Bills into law, including significant amendments to the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Acts.

This was confirmed in brief statement by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) on Tuesday 16, July 2024.

According to the PPU, the President assented to the Bills on Monday, at State House, Nakasero.

“The Presidential Press Unit (PPU) wishes to inform the general public that the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has signed 19 Bills into law,” PPU stated.

Among the signed Bills, the VAT Amendment Act 2024 now grants the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) the authority to collect VAT on donated goods or services provided by employers to employees.

Additionally, the Act increases the threshold for claiming refunds on overpaid taxes from Shs 5 million to Shs 10 million.

The government initially proposed raising the threshold to Shs 50 million, but this was rejected by MPs due to concerns about its potential negative impact on businesses.

The President also approved the Non-Governmental Organisations Amendment Act 2024, which eliminates the NGO Board and transfers its responsibilities for overseeing NGO operations back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Also Read: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signs five bills into law

However, President Museveni returned two Bills to Parliament for further consideration. These are the National Commission for UNESCO (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Higher Education Students Financing (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

This latest legislative activity underscores the President’s ongoing efforts to update and refine the legal framework governing various sectors in Uganda.

The Bills signed into law include:

1. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (Amendment) Act 2024
2. The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (Amendment) Act 2024
3. The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Act 2024
4. The Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council (Repeal) Act 2024
5. The Agricultural Chemicals (Control) (Amendment) Act 2024
6. The Children (Amendment) Act 2024
7. The National Youth Council (Amendment) Act 2024
8. The Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Act 2024
9. The National Women’s Council (Amendment) Act 2024
10. The National Council for Older Persons (Amendment) Act 2024
11. The Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Act 2024
12. The National Library (Amendment) Act 2024
13. The National Planning Authority (Amendment) Act 2024
14. The National Population Council (Repeal) Act 2024
15. The Physical Planning (Amendment) Act 2024
16. The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act 2024
17. The Tax Procedures Code (Amendment) Act 2024
18. The Stamp Duty (Amendment) Act 2024
19. The Income Tax (Amendment) Act 2024

However, two Bills were returned to Parliament unsigned.

These Bills are:

1. The National Commission for UNESCO (Amendment) Act 2024
2. The Higher Education Students Financing (Amendment) Act 2024