URSB headquarters in KampalaBy Prisca WanyenyaLegislators have accused the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) of discriminatory application of the law, after five companies were issued registration certificates without paying registration fees worth UGX8 billion, while smaller Ugandan-owned businesses are closed for failing to pay as little as UGX100,000.The concerns were raised during a meeting on October 29, 2026, between the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) and URSB to consider the Auditor General’s report for December 2025. The Ministry of Finance was faulted for risking billions invested in Roko Construction Company, Speke Resort Convention Centre, Tropical Bank and Oil Palm Uganda.Stella Atyang (Moroto Woman MP) criticised government for failing to ensure companies in which it holds shares pay requisite fees, while pursuing small businesses.“I expected that if government is having shares in some of the bigger companies in the country, those companies would have been exemplary in terms of abiding by the law, but they’re the ones breaking the law more. The entities of government that are responsible for mobilising funds are not helping us. They are supposed to follow these big entities to make sure that government gets the revenue it requires, but you’ll find them running for the small businesses,” Atyang said.“It is something so fishy that we all need to look into. The law should be applied equally to everybody, either big or small,” she added.Robert Ssekitoleko (Bwamunanika County) tasked URSB to confirm whether the five defaulting companies were part of the list of non-compliant companies it recently published in the media.“URSB, some two weeks ago, you listed the companies which are not complying with your laws and you decided to put them in newspapers. Can you brief this committee whether you managed to put Roko Construction, Speke Resort Convention and others under that docket?” he asked.Julius Nakyinga (Budadiri East) said focus should be on how the unpaid UGX8 billion impacts government’s investments.“That is why they don’t bother to follow the procedure. Once you have received money, what is the risk with you, whether they comply or not? The risk is not with the local, it is not with Tropical, the risk is with the people of Uganda. We need to be more serious with the Ministry of Finance,” Nakyinga said.Buzaya County MP Martin Muzaale questioned how government could invest UGX201 billion to acquire shares in Roko Construction but fail to monitor payment of UGX2 billion in registration fees.“Government is at risk because Roko Construction is actually the one constructing the new Parliament chambers and has failed to complete it. Very soon they will come back to ask for more money. After all, government now owns 91% of the company. I am worried that in a few years we shall hear that Roko has closed,” Muzaale said.The UGX8 Billion Audit QueryThe inquiry followed an audit query by the Auditor General on UGX8 billion in receivables in URSB’s records, including:– Tropical Bank, owned by Libyan Foreign Bank (95.6%) and Government (4.4%), which did not pay UGX347,035,000 when it increased its share capital from UGX53.475 billion to UGX88.178 billion.– Roko Construction, which increased its share capital from 15,000 to 150,000 shares later taken over by government at UGX201 billion, attracting fees of UGX3,106,950,000. Stamp duty was waived, leaving UGX2,071,300,000 unpaid.– Oil Palm Buvuma, owned by Oil Palm Uganda Ltd, Bidco Uganda Ltd and Government, which owes UGX599.99 million.– Horial Investment Holdings Company, which owes UGX3 billion.– Speke Resort Convention Centre (Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort), which owes UGX2 billion.Companies Blame Finance MinistryAsuman Bamweyana, Head Legal and Company Secretary at Tropical Bank, said the Ministry of Finance committed to pay the fees.“At the time of this increment, the Ministry of Finance committed that as part of its contribution towards the increment of the capital, it would pay the stamp duty and registration fees. The understanding was that government was going to meet the payment directly to URSB,” Bamweyana said.Mustapher Ntale, Acting Registrar General at URSB, confirmed the Roko case, saying the company expected a waiver from the Minister of Finance.Roko’s management said it had reminded government in its last board meeting about the liabilities supposed to be catered for by government.It should be recalled that in 2023, government spent Shs86.4 billion on a conference hall at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia ahead of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit. The Committee was shocked to learn that the late Rajiv Ruparelia, who died in May 2025, is still listed in URSB records as a director of Speke Resort Convention Centre.COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi warned that failure to pay the validation fees jeopardises government’s investments.“If government can inject UGX201 billion into a company but fail to pay a validation fee of UGX2-3 billion, this jeopardises the safety of this investment. These are private companies which can deny liability and the validating tool will be the registered shares. Legally, you cannot rely on memorandums signed outside the registration process,” Nkunyingi said.“How do you claim if there is an issue? The issue is how protected is government’s stake,” he added.Ntale attributed the special treatment to a commitment from the Ministry of Finance to pay and asked for more time to remind the Ministry to clear the fees.“We received a commitment from government which was in very clear terms that we invoiced the Ministry of Finance to make a payment. I would commit to raise again this matter to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.Only Tropical Bank and Roko Construction honoured summons to attend the meeting. The other three companies absconded without explanation, prompting COSASE to announce plans to issue police summons for their directors.The post How 5 Big Firms Dodged Shs8bn URSB Fees While Small Businesses Are Shut Down appeared first on Business Focus.