Vote on Mobile Money Tax Nullified After Results Outnumber MPs

Members of Parliament are voting in the controversial issue of whether to pass the 0.5% tax levy on Mobile Money or repeal the tax for good.

The initial vote on Tuesday afternoon saw 101 MPs vote in favour of the amendment and 136 against the amendment that was tabled by Ndorwa East MP, Wilfred Niwagaba.

Niwagaba proposed for the deletion of paragraph (f) of the Excise Duty Act which calls for deletion of the entire provision of the Mobile Money tax.

However, the vote was cancelled because after the voting, the total tally added up to 237 yet before the voting commenced, the total number of MPs in the House was 196. This leaves a total of 41 votes unaccounted for.

This sparked disagreement among members who called for a repeat of the exercise by calling for a roll call. In the fresh vote, every MP will be required to stand at the microphone and pronounce whether he is for or against the proposed amendment.

The voting comes a day after President Museveni met the NRM caucus at State House Entebbe over Mobile Money tax amendment Bill.

The controversial Bill was tabled before Parliament for the second reading weeks ago and the House was adjourned after absence of the required quorum to take a decision.

It is reported that on that day, members of the NRM party were demobilised from entering the house to take a vote by Commissioner Peter Ogwang and the Minister of State for Finance, Evelyn Anite.