URA was established in September 1991 by an Act of Parliament to efficiently manage national tax administration, in order to generate revenue to fund government programs. Its primary purpose is to assess and collect specified tax revenue, administer, enforce the applicable tax laws. Customs is a department under the body.
In 2004, URA carried out administrative reforms that started with an organizational restructuring which reduced the number of administrative layers from seventeen to seven. This greatly reduced bureaucracies, improved communication and decision making turnaround time. Thereafter the body undertook a modernization and reform strategy to transform it into an efficient and effective agency that is client focused. After 25 years of existence, the authority has grown by leaps and bounds with the following notable achievements:
- Introduction of 24/7 services at customs border stations.
- Business processes re-engineering.
- Automation of the processes with ASYCUDA World.
- Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS).
- Implementation of staff competency enhancement programmes.
- Improvement of the physical working environment.
- Establishment of six One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
- Implementation of staff integrity enhancement programs.
- Implementation of Single Customs Territory.
- Implementation of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) program.
Revenue Performance over the 25 years
During the financial years 1991/92 to 1999/00, international trade taxes grew from UGX 100.58 Billion to UGX 555.45 Billion. In the subsequent period, 2000/01 to 2009/10, customs taxes collected grew from UGX 611.07 Billion to UGX 2,038.71 Billion. International trade taxes further grew in the period 2010/11 to 2015/16, from UGX 2,534 Billion to UGX 4,832 Billion. This elliptical growth of tax is attributed to enhanced administrative efficiency such as automation, re-engineered business processes, improved human capital and initiatives such as the ECTS, the AEO Program, the OSBPS etc.