COSASE Questions URSB Over Audit Queries, Funding Shortfall

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has come under scrutiny over financial management, weaknesses in its digital registration systems and gaps in the protection of government trademarks following concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report.

Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), chaired by Nkunyingi Muwada, URSB officials were asked to explain audit findings that flagged the absence of insurance cover for non-current assets and inconsistencies in asset records. The report noted illogical entries, including assets recorded as being in use before their procurement dates.

The committee further raised concerns about repeated outages of the Online Business Registration System (OBRS), which have disrupted digital registration services, delayed processing, and affected service delivery. Auditors pointed to inadequate fraud prevention mechanisms, weak ICT governance, and heavy reliance on external vendors.

Muwada also questioned URSB over gaps in protecting government trademarks, warning that a failure to register official symbols could expose the public to impersonation and online fraud.

“The Auditor General cited 79 per cent of the trademarks sampled as not protected,” Muwada stated, highlighting risks where citizens might mistake fraudulent entities for legitimate government institutions.

Additional issues raised included inadequate funding for the bureau’s strategic plan, inaccuracies in non-tax revenue reporting, and delays in obtaining ISO 9001 certification. URSB officials cited severe budget constraints as a major driver of these operational challenges. Furthermore, the committee sought clarification regarding staff members currently under interdiction to confirm the legal standing of the officials representing the bureau.

Read more details on the Nile Post.