2014 Global Leadership Summit Session 6b: Allen Catherine Kagina #gls14

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Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority

SESSION 6: Heart Session: A Grander Vision

• During her 20-year career as a public servant, Kagina has transformed the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) by taking on corruption, increasing service-orientation and winning awards for innovation
• Motivated by a desire to convert Uganda from a borrower to a giver nation, her reforms have led to higher revenue attainment, allowing the government to increasingly fund its national development plan
• The URA has become a model public institution for developing countries; Kagina is a sought-after speaker who regularly addresses international forums on resource management

Session Notes

• Stats
  • African was the fastest growing continent in population and GDP
  • Most African nations will reach middle class status by 2025
  • Poverty declining.  58% were living on less than $1.2/day, now 48%
• God does not know the division between church and politics or between church and business.
• Pastor told her “You are an anointed tax collector.”
• Decided we had to have integrity and be competent.
• I terminated everyone – 2 months notice – and reapply for all jobs
• Went to tax payers and asked, “What do you want us to do for you?”
  • don’t want to wait in long lines – built online systems
  • don’t understand – teach people their rights &
  • Front-loaded service and put enforcement, auditing later
• Rebranded, did community work
• Revenue has grown 314% in 10 years
• Organizations used to say don’t recruit from the URA. Now I can’t keep my people. People from the URA are leading many organizations now.