Music promoters under their umbrella, National Promoters Association (NPA) have rejected paying new Uganda Revenue Authority taxes until they meet with URA officials and agree on how the tax will benefit their business.
The organizers, led by the president of the party, Abbey Musinguzi a.k.a Abitex, Kavuma Musa a.k.a KT, Andrew Mukasa a.k.a Bajjo, Baram Barugahara and others, were speaking to Journalists at the Calendar Hotel in Makindye on Thursday.
They agreed that URA should first meet music promoters and sensitize them on the new 18% tax so that they can also contribute their views.
Abitex urged promoters to halt their plans of organising concerts until they meet with Uganda Revenue Authority to table the complaints.
Andrew Mukasa- Bajjo, lashed out at URA for collecting taxes which seems not to benefit the common man.
On top of the new URA taxes, Uganda Police on January 6th 2023, released new guidelines for securing concerts, mass gathering and performances, among others.
In the new guidelines, all organisers and promoters must write to the Inspector General of Police indicating where the concerts will be, the number of attendees expected for better planning, and also avail to the IGP the measures they are putting in place for controlling crowds with clear and elaborate access control measures, including (hand probes, walk through machines, K9 and scanners).
Police said the organisers must have a plan to deploy private security guards and stewards who are proportionate to the crowds and threat levels; must have a practical and approved management plan, including (access and exit routes, parking centers and how they will be managed); and must show the capacity to handle emergencies, which include medical provisions, ambulances, fire safety systems, and thorough evacuation plans of which all the arrangements call for extra expenses.
Credit: CBS FM
