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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30916, member: 2262"] The Uganda Revenue Authority has pushed back against recent news stories about its budget plans. URA officials say many people misunderstood what they meant by "medical expenses" in their upcoming financial plan. The entire issue started when MP Enos Asiimwe asked during a Parliament session whether the URA wanted to buy actual medicine with 18.2 billion Shillings. This question sparked debate among lawmakers and journalists about how a tax agency spends money. URA spokesperson Robert Kalumba made things clear on the social media platform X. He said the tax authority never buys medicine for anyone. Instead, that money pays for staff health insurance, vehicle coverage, equipment protection, and building insurance across Uganda. Kalumba seemed frustrated that reporters compared URA's budget to Mulago National Referral Hospital without checking facts first. He stressed the importance of calling the URA before publishing stories with wrong information. The mix-up happened because budget documents used technical terms that most people find confusing. When regular citizens see "medical expenses," they might think of pills and treatments. But government agencies use this label differently. Kalumba explained that the money actually covers health insurance for employees and other staff benefits. The URA does not run any medical facilities or buy pharmaceutical supplies with these funds. News outlets had claimed URA planned to spend more on medicine than major hospitals. This comparison upset tax officials who felt it painted them as wasteful. Kalumba asked journalists to verify technical budget items before publishing stories. The situation shows how easily budget terms can cause public confusion when not explained properly. URA hopes their explanation will stop further misunderstandings about their spending plans. [/QUOTE]

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