In a landmark partnership set to transform Uganda’s financial landscape, Airtel Money, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and Stanbic Bank Uganda have launched a seamless tax payment solution.
This collaboration, which allows taxpayers to pay taxes from their mobile phones, is a powerful example of how technology and strategic partnerships can drive economic growth by simplifying a previously complex process.
The launch, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, was attended by key leaders from the three organisations, who all emphasised the solution’s potential to boost domestic revenue collection, enhance financial inclusion, and empower small businesses.
New Era of Revenue Collection and Convenience
This new service eliminates the traditional barriers to tax payment, such as long queues and travel costs, which disproportionately affect individuals and small businesses in remote areas.
Japhet Aritho, the Managing Director of Airtel Money, highlighted the immense reach of the service, noting that their infrastructure of 335,000 agents across the country, combined with an open API, allows anyone in a remote area to pay taxes easily. “What was once a complex process has now been simplified,” he stated.
From the URA’s perspective, this initiative is a major step in leveraging technology to improve service delivery.
James Odongo, Assistant Commissioner of IT at URA, praised the new channel for enabling taxpayers to make payments “anytime, anywhere, before the due date.”
“This convenience is expected to significantly improve compliance rates and boost the national tax base, which is crucial for funding public services and infrastructure projects,” he revealed.
Driving Economic Growth With Financial Inclusion
The impact of this partnership extends far beyond mere convenience. As Ms. Paula Coetzee, Head of Transaction Banking at Stanbic Bank, noted, this initiative will “drive financial inclusion and enhance domestic tax collection.”
She noted that by making tax payments accessible to a wider population, especially those without formal bank accounts, the service integrates more people into the formal economy. This, in turn, unlocks the potential for micro-payers and small businesses to “actively participate in the economy,” as they can now fulfil their civic obligations more easily and focus on growth.
This seamless payment process is expected to streamline business operations, reduce the time and resources spent on tax compliance, and ultimately foster a more productive and compliant business environment.
This will lead to a more stable and predictable revenue stream for the government, creating a virtuous cycle of investment in the national economy.
With Airtel Money processing an impressive Shs134 billion in transactions last year, this new service is poised to have a significant and immediate impact on Uganda’s financial ecosystem.