By Alan Collins Mpewo
Technology has been prioritised by many countries allover the world because of the advantages and potential hacks that can be exploited. Often times the exploitation has been used to wage war, spying and propaganda. Other nations to the contrary have taken a distant trajectory from the usual, and used technology to outlive the blocks that avail themselves. Much as technology keeps improving and it still gets so much threat from people’s perception, it should be underscored that technology is the future.
Recently, China together with the Uganda Revenue Authority, a public body in charge of Revenue collection in Uganda, had a commemoration of a memorandum of understanding, that the two parties entered into in 2021. The spirit of the memorandum of understanding was the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Mutual recognition arrangement and this was signed at the 5th AEO Global Conference that was held in Dubai.
Uganda would be able to benefit from the arrangement in terms of streamlining trade finance and revenue collection which is aligned to China’s Revenue collection practices and enhancement of trade framework. If critically analysed, the main informing aspect for Uganda to enter this mutual arrangement was on a basis of China’s stand on the global floor of trade. The arrangement was also meant to further the corporation between Uganda and China on the basis of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This way, Preferential treatment will be accorded to the goods coming from China to Uganda and vice versa. Therefore, this will be a wake-up call for companies that engaged in supply of goods, works, and services to and from Uganda and this can be confirmed to thus far have been achieved on great strides.
Numerous companies have taken part in registration and confirming participation in this great initiative and it can safely be said that there have been more than 5,000 Chinese companies and over 150 from Uganda adapting to this new trade arrangement. The good news with this is that over 230 companies from both countries have since engaged and participated in trade together using the arrangement and about 130 billion have been collected by the Uganda Revenue Authority for the trading done by those companies along the border and within the boundaries of Uganda. The value of the trade between the companies in both countries has also increased in the recent financial year to over 750 billion Ugandan shillings. This goes back to the objectives set out in the various Corporation agreements that two countries have been engaged in, in the recent years.
The most known modern way the countries worldwide are able to facilitate state activities and governments is through revenue collection and this is the main basis for engaging into this kind of arrangement by the two players. Therefore, each country twice as much to simplify not only ways of generating more revenue but also without inconveniencing the taxpayer while maintaining stable means of putting such finances to productive use. As far as application of the revenue is concerned, Uganda still grapples with all possible forms of corruption and should therefore seek as much of lessons from China to make sure that their education of the vice is also a major objective if it wants to make proper realisation of the revenue’s benefits.
The two countries also realised the adverse effects of delay in transportation of goods and services across boundaries and therefore since data is one of the most important resources in a government can have grip on, since this arrangement is also meant to enable easy data sharing on various cargo that would be transported to and from the two countries.
However, with multi border trade comes risks and therefore imperative to come up with risk assessment to measures. In this case, the arrangement was also meant to provide for better grip on the control of the Trade Practices between all key players during transportation and find a delivery of the goods to the consumers. On another bright side, the arrangement has since helped to increase competitiveness among the companies involved in the platform in as far as manufacturing, packaging, delivery, and response to consumer feedback. With clearance now eased, goods and services will be able to reach their final destination in the shortest possible time and also enable the companies involved to compete and set up themselves for better and bigger deals in the trade sector. Presently, more than 20% is being benefited from only the companies that are participating in this arrangement which is a great side and commendable initiative by the two countries. The figures from China are equally promising and therefore an indicator of why good international relations is important and a stable means of achieving much of the goals amongst various nations.
Tax evasion is a crime that many countries grew up with fighting to the nail to make sure that its effects are greatly eradicated. Otherwise, failure to combat such vices undermines efforts that would have been invested. Therefore, this calls for possible forms of compliance with the day’s tax laws, regulations, and practices. The benefits of this arrangement can not be overemphasized, but ultimately, with furthered sensitization, there will be more players joining along the way.
Alan Collins Mpewo, is a Senior Research Fellow, Development Watch Centre.