Kampala — THE poor working relationship between the Uganda Revenue Uganda (URA) and clearing agents is affecting revenue collection in the eastern region.

Patrick Abodi, the URA eastern manager, explained that the URA employees were always engaged in running battles with clearing agents.

This bad blood, he added, had affected most revenue collection stations from achieving their targets.

"URA is moving away from being viewed as an organisation full of thieves to the agency that can be trusted to building structures that will lead to the development of this country.

"This can be achieved when we create a good working relationship with all our stakeholders," Abodi said.

He was speaking at the fair well party for the outgoing principal revenue officer, Nice Byaruhanga at Lola hotel in Busia.

Abodi said the successes of URA in the collection exercise should be shared with the clearing agents and other stakeholders.

He commended Byaruhanga for setting up a formidable team that has enticed importers to clear their good at Busia.

He said this had enabled the stations to meet monthly targets.

Justas Obura, the head of the Busia Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, criticised URA for failing to recognise clearing agents as patterners.

He called for a good working relationship, saying if this was not done, revenue collection would remain a tough task.

Meanwhile, the URA has reopened Moses Kalungi's premises on Plot 16/18 on William Street in the city centre after recovering sh20m out of the sh50m he defaulted as Value Added Tax (VAT), reports Samuel Balagadde.

Kalungi, a city tycoon is also the Makindye Division chairperson.

The tycoon on Wednesday committed himself to paying the sh30m balance within two months.

Kalungi bought the KJ Company premises in 1999. But he denied ownership.

He also never remitted VAT to URA until he was recently ambushed.

Paul Kyeyune, the URA acting commissioner for public and corporate affairs, disclosed that Kalungi Plaza, which also belongs to the tycoon was closed on Saturday for non-compliance to tax obligation.