COSASE Summons Finance Minister Over Unpaid Shs8 Billion URSB Registration Fees

The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has intervened in a controversial financial arrangement involving the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Lawmakers are demanding answers regarding Shs8 billion in unpaid registration fees.

During a committee session, URSB officials revealed that the ministry directed them to register four prominent entities—Tropical Bank, Oil Palm Buvuma, Roko Construction Ltd, and Speke Resort Convention Center Munyonyo—and invoice the ministry directly. However, the payments have been delayed for four years.

Legislators questioned the legal basis of the directive. Hon. Eliab Naturinda noted that acquiring shares or exempting entities from statutory fees requires formal Cabinet approval rather than informal ministerial instructions. COSASE Chairperson Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi expressed concern over potential collusion, emphasizing that the staggering debt cannot be ignored while Parliament continues to allocate funds to these companies.

URSB Acting Registrar General Mustapher Ntale defended the bureau’s position by stating that the ministry explicitly instructed the registration and subsequent invoicing. Ntale admitted that while the companies were granted exemptions from stamp duty, the registration fees remain unsettled despite unsuccessful follow-ups with the Accountant General.

In addition to the registration fee saga, MPs scrutinized URSB over technical failures such as persistent internet downtime during online registrations, procurement system breakdowns, and making new financial commitments worth Shs380 million despite existing domestic arrears.

COSASE has resolved to summon State Minister for Finance Hon. Henry Musasizi, alongside representatives from URSB, the affected companies, and the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, to provide clarity on the matter.

For more details on this parliamentary inquiry, read the full report on the Parliament of Uganda.