The Ministry of Works and Transport now has full control over the Uganda Revenue Authority’s motor vehicle registration duties.
Effective July 1, 2023, the ministry will manage all registration-related tasks and procedures.
New vehicle registration will be the final stage of the changeover, which has been ongoing for the past three years.
Post-registration services like change of ownership, modifications, deregistration, duplicate license plates, and registration books were part of the transition’s first phase.
URA claims that this was accomplished successfully.
To give the Ministry of Works and Transport time to prepare, the second phase of the transition program, which includes the first registration procedure, was entrusted to URA.
Installing a new Motor Vehicle Registration System (MVRS), which they did not have before, was the primary contributing reason.
Uganda imports roughly 50,000 vehicles annually, with taxes totalling about 650 billion Shillings, according to URA.
How many car transfers, modifications, or de-registrations take place is unknown.
URA will provide initial registration, registration, and licensing for automobiles with international registration (temporary imports in TEVIES).
All post-registration procedures under the Domestic Taxes Department of the tax authority were transferred by URA to the Ministry of Works in 2021, while it continued to perform the “first registration” duty until now.
Vehicles entering the nation prior to the declaration in Asycuda will also be detected by the new registration system (an integrated UN customs management system for international trade and transport operations in a modern automated environment).
However, URA will continue to be in charge of revenue collection, which will come from non-tax earnings from the services related to motor vehicle registration.
In order to improve industry management, MoWT will also take over the integrations with the vehicle database that URA has already given to a number of MDAs, including the Insurance Regulatory Authority, Uganda Police, and Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
Additionally, the action fits with how the government is putting its Intelligent Transport Monitoring System into effect (ITMS).
To combat criminality that is made possible by the usage of automobiles, this system calls for the issuance of new digital license plates that permit the tracking of cars and motorcycles.
Global Security Joint Stock Company will supply the system.
The MoWT issued regulations requiring car owners to apply for new digital license plates with tracking devices, new number series for each vehicle category for each Government agency, and new number series for each vehicle category in order to implement the digital system in the upcoming fiscal year.
There will be a centralized car register available, and the license plates will have sensors incorporated them.
URA praised the role transfers as a means to enhance service delivery and make services easier to obtain.
One organization handling all facets of motor vehicle registration, according to URA spokesperson Ibrahim Bbossa, will enhance the quality of services provided to Ugandans.
It comes at a time when URA is streamlining services by using technology to streamline workflows and improve user experience, enabling us to give better service to our clients.
Bbossa noted that, prior to implementation, car owners would be made aware of the changes as part of URA’s Taxpayer education campaigns.