By Musa Mbogo
Airtel Money, in partnership with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Stanbic Bank, has unveiled a new service that allows Ugandans to pay taxes directly through the Airtel Money platform.
The service, launched in Kampala, enables customers to pay any government fee linked to a Payment Registration Number (PRN) including VAT, PAYE, passport fees, driving licenses, and other taxes without leaving their home or workplace.
Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited Managing Director, Japhet Aritho, described the development as “long overdue” and a significant boost for convenience.
“I’m very delighted this morning because this service is long overdue. This is a service that enables our customers and even corporates to pay taxes and government fees from the convenience of their homes,” Aritho said.
“From any part of the country, you do not have to think about taxes as a pain point. You can walk into any of our over 335,000 agent points, deposit money, and pay seamlessly. The fees for this service are among the lowest we charge, because we want everybody to pay taxes without seeing it as a burden.”
Aritho also credited Airtel’s open API, launched two years ago, for making such integrations possible, saying it allows partners to collect and disburse funds with ease.
URA’s Assistant Commissioner for Enterprise Architecture, James Odong, said the tax body had worked closely with Stanbic Bank and Airtel to ensure the platform was ready and reliable.
“URA works through various partnerships, and Stanbic has been one of our biggest collectors. Now, we have added Airtel Money to simplify the service further because anything on mobile can be done anytime, anywhere, at the convenience of the taxpayer,” Odong explained.
“This has been a journey with Airtel for about two years. We wanted to perfect it and ensure it is done correctly. Launching it now, at the start of the financial year, will help improve revenue collection throughout the year.”
Airtel Uganda’s Public Relations Manager, David Birungi, said the platform would extend beyond tax payments to facilitate broader access to government and financial services.
“We believe whoever has a SIM card in their hands should be able to interact with government, pay taxes, access services, buy insurance, pay utilities without leaving their home. This is the inclusion and convenience we are preaching,” Birungi said.
Representing Stanbic Uganda, Paula Coetzee, Head of Investment Banking, said the integration was more than a technical milestone.
“It is a transformational step forward in driving financial inclusion, digital efficiency, and domestic resource mobilisation for Uganda. By digitising tax payments and integrating mobile money platforms, we are unlocking the potential of millions of individuals and small businesses to participate in the formal economy,” Coetzee said.
“As URA’s largest partner bank in facilitating tax payments, we are proud to make it easier, faster, and safer for taxpayers across the country to meet their obligations. Our presence here this morning is to give assurance that the service is stable, efficient, and secure.”
These believe this collaboration will help widen the tax base, simplify compliance, and make tax payment a less daunting process for Ugandans.
To access the service, customers dial *185*4*7# and follow prompts to pay any government fee linked to a Payment Registration Number (PRN).
