Parliament to Review Tax Framework for Private Educational Institutions

The Parliament of Uganda has committed to addressing the fiscal challenges faced by private educational institutions in the country. Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth made the pledge during a meeting with a delegation from the National Private Educational Institutions Association–Uganda (NPEIA).

The delegation was led by Igara East Member of Parliament, Hon. Michael Mawanda, alongside NPEIA National Chairperson Hasadu Kirabira and other executive members. During the discussions, Speaker Oboth emphasized that private schools function primarily as providers of essential public services rather than purely commercial enterprises.

Highlighting the immense contribution of private providers, Kirabira presented figures showing that the sector manages nearly all pre-primary schools, 73 percent of primary institutions, and 75 percent of secondary schools. The association outlined several pressing concerns, including overlapping taxes from both local and central governments, heavy tariffs on educational inputs like computers and laboratory chemicals, and limited access to affordable credit through the Uganda Development Bank.

In response, Speaker Oboth backed calls for a streamlined, predictable tax system and urged the association’s leadership to provide a detailed breakdown of multiple taxation issues for parliamentary review. While maintaining that regulatory oversight and five-year operating licences remain vital for quality assurance, Oboth assured stakeholders that the legislature would consider their proposals in upcoming policy deliberations.

For more details on this development, read the full report on the Parliament of Uganda.