Speaker Oboth in a group photo with a delegation from the National Private Educational Institutions Association–Uganda (NPEIA)Parliament will review the taxation regime affecting private educational institutions, Speaker Jacob Oboth Marksons has said, describing private schools as providers of a vital public service rather than purely commercial ventures.The Speaker made the commitment while meeting a delegation from the National Private Educational Institutions Association–Uganda (NPEIA) at Parliament. The delegation, led by MP Michael Mawanda, comprised the association’s executive members, including National Chairperson Hasadu Kirabira.“You’re not asking for money, but you’re asking for a conducive taxation regime,” he said. “We could be private schools, but we are offering public education service, which is one core component of human resource development in this country.”The association presented a memorandum on overlapping taxes and limited access to affordable credit.Oboth said the concerns would be taken up in upcoming legislative and policy deliberations, noting that proprietors were not seeking handouts but a predictable and supportive operating environment.The Speaker backed the association’s call for a single, streamlined tax system to end overlapping levies by local and central government. He directed NPEIA’s leadership to submit a detailed breakdown of every area where private institutions face multiple taxation so the matter can move through parliamentary structures.Speaker ObothWhile maintaining that regulatory oversight, including five-year operating licences, remains necessary for quality control, Oboth said fiscal obligations must be fair and predictable. He praised proprietors for transforming lives and expanding the country’s learning capacity despite the challenges. “I don’t want to imagine Uganda without private schools in education service delivery,” he said.The scale of private provisionKirabira presented figures showing the size of the private education sector. According to the association, private providers run all pre-primary schools, more than 35,000 institutions serving 2.16 million children. They also account for 73 percent of primary schools, with 3.96 million pupils, and 75 percent of secondary schools, about 1,114 institutions with 1.1 million students. The sector also includes 17 private universities.Private schools employ more than 160,500 primary and 27,400 secondary teachers, alongside tens of thousands of support staff. Kirabira said this makes private education a pillar of both the learning system and the job market, and its financial health a matter of public interest.He cited uncoordinated levies by central and local governments, limited access to long-term, low-interest finance from the Uganda Development Bank (UDB), and heavy taxes on computers, laboratory equipment and chemicals. A shortage of qualified teachers, worsened by challenges in implementing the 2019 teacher policy, adds to the strain.Four proposed reformsThe association asked Parliament to champion four reforms:A harmonised “Special Education Tax” regime treating schools as social service entities, waiving taxes on educational inputs and exempting institutions with an operational surplus below UGX 100 million.A ring-fenced, affordable credit line through UDB for infrastructure, digital expansion and research.A revived national public-private partnership framework to strengthen infrastructure and skills training.A formal parliamentary dialogue on private education investment to keep policy aligned with the sector’s needs.Partnership on education dataBeyond taxation, Oboth urged NPEIA to work with government on national education indicators, particularly the gap between primary enrolment and completion. He noted that public school data can be distorted by capitation grant dynamics, while private schools keep accurate enrolment records, and asked the association to help investigate the causes of primary school dropout.The Speaker accepted an invitation to NPEIA’s Regional Education Conference and Business Dinner, set for 10 December at Hotel Africana’s Nile Hall. Themed “Unlocking the Potential in the Private Education Investment Service Sector in Uganda,” the event will bring together delegates from East and West Africa to discuss policy reform, education transformation and regional investment partnerships.The post Oboth Pledges Parliamentary Review of Tax Regime on Private Schools appeared first on Business Focus.