By Amos Ngwomoya
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Valuation court has pledged to look into the pending complaints raised by city landlords over high property tax and forward recommendations to the technical wing for approval.
While addressing Journalists at City Hall yesterday shortly after the first session of the hearing, the court’s chairperson, Asuman Basalirwa wondered why majority of city landlords are protesting the tax levied on their buildings yet there is a court meant to dispense justice to them.
Basalirwa says as court, they shall sit and see if the complaints made by the landlords merit a reduction in the property tax adding that after hearing all these cases, the court shall determine how much money should be added or reduced.
Basalirwa explained that the KCCA hiked the property tax because the evaluation exercise was last done 11 years ago, adding that places where the valued properties are located have since developed and this warrants an increment in the tax.
Property tax is the levy on any property that exists within the jurisdiction of the city. It’s charged in fulfillment of the periodic statutory requirement of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2005. The money collected caters for the infrastructural development.
During yesterday’s court hearing, landlords accused KCCA of carrying out valuation of properties based on the square metres that a building occupies.
They argued that by basing on the square metres, majority of landlords would be cheated because most of the space on their buildings isn’t occupied.
