Resource Rights Africa (RRA) is a member of the Tax Justice Alliance Uganda that was established in 2014 following the realization that it was important for Civil Society Organizations in Uganda to come together and deliberate on tax issues and pool human, financial and technological resources for common and or joint action. Since then, the Alliance has spearheaded civil society debate and engaged different stakeholders on tax issues in Uganda.1The network seeks to create understanding and debate as well as to promote reform in the tax environment in Uganda. The Alliance is hosted by SEATINI Uganda. Other CSOs include Resource Rights Africa, Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group, CEWIT, ISER, Uganda Debt Network, Action Aid Uganda, Forum for Women in Democracy, NGO Forum, Cyber Law Initiative, Twaweza Uganda and Oxfam Uganda to mention but a few.
The alliance was founded at a time when the tax debate was still unpopular in Uganda. Since then its energies and reach have greatly magnified its influence as the issues it champions move up in the political space. The Tax Justice Alliance conducts high level research, analysis and advocacy on tax, aspects of financial regulation, on the role of tax in society and on the impact of tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens.
Tax Justice Alliance has done a lot to put fiscal justice at the centre of the policy agenda. This has been achieved through its 5 strategic focus areas including policy advocacy, alliance building and networking, media engagements, capacity building, information generation and dissemination. Through these focus areas TJA supports the engagement of citizens, Civil Society organizations and policy makers with the aim of a more just tax system in Uganda.
The alliance has played a crucial role in opening up a whole range of tax related issues. Questions of taxation are important in themselves and they unlock wider fundamental debates about the fiscal nature of our society. The TJA has been at the forefront of opening up such issues.
The Tax Justice Alliance has also been instrumental in encouraging and giving institutional support to Civil Society organizations to engage in tax related issues and join the tax justice movement to raise their voices and get involved in the struggle against tax injustices in Uganda. CSOs need to have a stronger voice in the tax debate and consequently move tax issues up the political agenda. RRA has benefited in these ventures and has participated in capacity building initiatives, trainings, dialogues and workshops aimed at achieving tax justice in Uganda.
