Kampala– In a bid to keep pace with Uganda’s evolving tax landscape, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has moved decisively to expand its footprint at the state-of-the-art RR Pearl Tower on Yusuf Lule Road. The acquisition of additional office space isn’t just about more desks—it’s a calculated play to supercharge efficiency, accommodate a booming workforce, and deliver sharper services to taxpayers amid economic headwinds and opportunities.
URA’s Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs, Robert Kalumba, laid it bare during a media briefing: the agency’s headcount has surged by over 1,000 new hires in the last year alone, pushing the total staff beyond 3,000 from a modest 2,000 just five years back. Much of this growth is in customs and emerging sectors like oil and petroleum, where compliance demands specialized handling. “Our old setup at Nakawa’s URA Tower was bursting at the seams with 1,700 souls,” Kalumba explained. “This extra space at RR Pearl Tower lets us breathe, collaborate, and serve faster—right where our biggest clients are clustered in the Central Business District.”
The phased relocation kicks off with the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO), Public Sector Division, and Medium Taxpayer Division settling in first. Later waves will usher in the Risk and Strategy Department and Petroleum Division, all without skipping a beat for ongoing services. Proximity is the secret sauce here: Yusuf Lule Road puts URA cheek-by-jowl with high-value taxpayers, slashing response times and ramping up oversight. “Closer to clients means more eyes on compliance, quicker audits, and revenue that sticks,” Kalumba quipped, underscoring how the move aligns with URA’s mandate to hit revenue targets in a diversifying economy.
But not everyone’s cheering from the rooftops. Social media has been abuzz with whispers of lavish spending, including wild claims of Shs 18 billion in yearly rent. Kalumba shut that down hard: “Fake news is our real enemy—procurement was transparent, competitive, and locked in the lowest bidder under PPDA guidelines.” No exact lease figures were spilled, but URA insists it’s budgeted wisely, prioritizing value over vanity in an era of tight public purses.
Tax watchers are nodding in approval. “This isn’t extravagance; it’s necessity,” said Dr. Evelyn Nakato, a fiscal policy analyst at Makerere University. “With oil revenues on the horizon and post-COVID recovery still fragile, URA needs agility to plug leakages and boost collections. A well-placed hub like this could add billions to the fiscus.”
As Uganda eyes its oil bonanza and digital economy boom, URA’s tower-top expansion signals readiness for the big leagues. Stakeholders can expect rollout updates soon, but one thing’s clear: the Taxman isn’t just collecting—he’s evolving.
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