URA bans inferior goods in Uganda

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has, effective October 25, 2019, banned importation of inferior goods.

This move has left traders in a quandary, moving up and down, looking for a way out. Yet this is the proper way to protect consumers.

The Drone Media has learnt that the traders are protesting against this policy.  They claim these are URA trade barriers, aiming at kicking them out of business.  Traders accuse officials of practicing double standards to ground them.

Traders under their umbrella organization Kampala city traders association-KACITA have launched a mass trade demonstration to resist a notice from the Uganda Revenue Authority banning the warehousing of a certain category of goods which traders say is intended to make it hard for them to trade. The move will start with a peaceful match to the Ministry of trade on Tuesday to deliver a petition to the minister.

The traders accuse URA forcing them to clear goods while in Kenya before they are transported to Uganda.
The goods that have been banned from warehousing with effect from October 20 th this year are comprised of footwear, motor vehicle tyres and garments of any kind and would not be eligible for customs warehousing.
The directive also indicates that small importers who bring in goods in group containers will only have 24 hours to arrange themselves and clear goods in question.

Everest Kayondo the chairman of Kampala city traders association says the move is going to cripple busineses in kampala.
Byarugaba Tom from the Federation of Uganda customs Agents and freight forwarders says the decision by URA is unbearable .

The goods only gazette for warehousing are sugar, milled and broken rice, building materials, wines and spirits (except the duty free ones), motor vehicle tyres and tubes, motor cycle tyres and tubes, dentifrices, garments of all kinds and footwear of all kinds, and imported cars of 14 years and above.