Do you think the government should tax private schools as proposed in the 2014/14 budget?

BACKGROUND

In 2006, President Museveni ordered the Finance ministry to stop imposing direct taxes on private schools, saying they were playing a critical role in supplementing government efforts of educating Ugandans.

However, during the last budget reading 2014/15, Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka said the government would now tax private schools. Owners of private schools have threatened to raise fees if the government goes ahead and taxes them.

“It is ludicrous that the government is proposing to cannibalise the same private schools that are helping to close the gaps in the education sector,” Mr Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga) said.

Several other ministers said that the tax coming at a time when the government does not have schools in some parts of the country would increase illiteracy and discourage investments in the education sector.

Mr. John Bosco, the head of the National Private Educational Institutions Association had this to say: “We ask government to consider withdrawing the proposed new tax on our institutions, short of that we shall be forced to increase fees. We know our radical decision will hurt the parents but that will be the only solution if we are to continue offering quality services”.

Question

Do you think government should tax private schools as proposed in the 2014/15 budget?

A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure

Instructions

Go to message on your phone and type in HITS, followed by A for yes, B for No and C for not sure. Please add the name of your district and leave a short comment explaining your answer. Send your message to 8585. This SMS is totally FREE of charge.