Introduction

Revenue mobilisation has rebirthed all motor vehicle licences for all owners of motor vehicles in addition to revising the rates for existing commercial motor vehicle licenses. This is to take effect in the next financial year, starting July 1^st 2021.

Objective

The object of this Bill is to amend the Traffic and Road Safety Act Cap. 361 to provide for a licence for possession of a motor vehicle; to introduce an annual licence fee for all motor vehicles; to repeal the Third Schedule to the Act and to repeal section 1 and the First Sched­ule to the Finance Act, 2006.

Major Highlights of the Bill

1. The Bill establishes a licence for possession of a motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant and the licence granted shall be val­id until revoked.
2. The Bill creates an offence for a person who, by any reason, does not have a motor vehicle licence to conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred currency points or imprisonment for a term not ex­ceeding one year or both.
3. The Bill provides that the licence for possession of the motor vehicle shall be paid annually on or before the 31st day of January of every year, as may be prescribed by the Minister by regulations.
4. The Bill further imposes a fine where a person fails to pay a prescribed annual fee before or on the date specified, shall pay a pen­alty of ten currency points for each day on which the contraven­tion continues; and that the unpaid annual fee and any penalty payable un­der the Bill, shall be a debt due to the Government by the defaulter.

Conclusion

We hope that the revenue from the motor vehicle licence, once in force, will have a positive impact on Uganda’s road infrastructure.