Tash Mugisha

I am a believer in inherent gifts

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@MubeziLuwaga I respect my elders—until they swap The Law for food and start giving Peppa Pig in 4K.

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@roxie_ug @MubeziLuwaga Actually, when you think about it,
It’s a beautiful concept…. It shows the depth within which the father is willing to support the son’s talent

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@_ssiieerra You make a fair point

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@TheFineBeauty Dm
I want

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

I have not laughed in a while

[MBU @MBU]

Just in case you are having a bad day 🤣

[MBU @MBU]

The last person in Uganda should switch off the lights 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

Needn’t say more

[Mercy Grace Munduru 🇺🇬 🇨🇩🇸🇸 @deuce_mercy]

I have struggled with my health for the past couple of weeks, my body had forcefully shut down. So, I had a very damning conversation with my doctor turned therapist (I had a close call to something that could have changed my life forever). He said to me; “many people like you are always doing for and giving to others and never intentionally giving yourself time to rest. And because of the nature of your position and responsibilities, you often feel like your colleagues and family (including yourself) have huge expectations of you- And whatever you do or don’t do, you get pressured and often feel it is never good enough…..”

What a brutal fact! Indeed, Sometimes our story includes the trauma of others passed down. I often have felt like I don't deserve to rest, and feel guilty when I do rest, because I have never seen my life slow down. But rest is LAW! We have lost many people who died prematurely because they didn't honor the law of rest.

You have a purpose for your life but you cannot fulfill it to its highest if you are not rested.

Please REST!

[Anthony Natif @TonyNatif]

Update

URA reportedly writes off UGX 280 Billion @mtnug tax obligation.

Information reaching @PublicSquareEA is that following revelation of this brewing dispute between giant South African telecommunications operator MTN and Uganda’s tax body @URAuganda, the tax under dispute has been written off to zero and a new chapter opened.

This has left some people within the government bitter at what they perceive to be a mishandling of a tax situation that has cost the government billions of shillings of much needed revenue.

One of the individuals said to be irate at this is Head of Revenue Intelligence at State House, Miss @BrendanAdWadri who is said to have written an extensive report to President @KagutaMuseveni warning against contracting a company called SafariTech which is said to have overseen a similarly botched telecom tax dispute in Ghana.

The company at the end of that tax dispute was also MTN. The amount due in that dispute was USD 773 million but it all ended up being written off.

SafariTech, it should be said, had been at the center of controversy in Ghana with its registration status questioned as were its work methods and the circumstances under which it gets such contracts. It was founded by a Kenyan national with experience in taxation, Andrew Gathuo Chege, the current Nairobi City County Revenue Administration Authority Board chairperson.

You can read about the Ghana tax dispute here: https://t.co/3pckOiCE5N

For the case of Uganda, reports indicate that this company, together with their alleged backers in @URAuganda, promised President @KagutaMuseveni that they could recover amounts north of UGX 1.5 Trillion in undeclared taxes.

The President okayed this move, over major protests from some of his advisers.

Now, it appears that the country has been left holding an empty basket and the revenue leakage issue hasn’t been solved.

Last we checked, Miss @BrendanAdWadri, daughter of fire spitting opposition politician, Hon. Kassiano Ezati Wadri, has submitted her resignation to President @KagutaMuseveni in protest at what she considers a shoddy, dubious handling of this tax situation.

This is a development story and @PublicSquareEA will continue providing updates.

#URASpotlight

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@yovan_wood Multi-dimensional Nyash

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@SpireJim @observerug Indeed

[Mama Kwezi of Uganda @KweziMama]

Uganda is not for the weak, naye Ssemujju Nganda alabide enaku mu Palamenti ye Uganda…
Imagine being so Brilliant and have to deal with people like Among , Full figure, Kusasira and Rwomushana, Frank Tumwebaze, all the Cow mentality men & women from the ruling party 🤦🏾‍♀️

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

@amedi_256 Read again

[Hashim Ryan @badman_Ryn]

If westerners can turn up like that for a fellow westerner who is just a musician just imagine what happens during presidential elections some even turn up twice

[Mathias Ssemanda @MathiasSsemanda]

37 years old! Lawyer, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, two Bachelors Degrees with distinction (Law and Business Statistics).

I only knew Joel from NTV but I was amazed when so many years after leaving university with his first degree, he returned to Makerere, sat law admission pre-entries where his name appeared among the top 5 performers. You must admit he is intelligent and hardworking. An inspiration to Uganda’s young and hopeless elites. Congratulations!

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

Interesting phenomenon

[Kakande Alex @KakandeAlex]

Should you Borrow money to buy a long-term Treasury Bond?

One of the Salient questions today on X when we talk about Treasury Bonds and comparing them with Real Estate is whether it is advisable to finance the purchase and investment in Treasury Bonds with borrowed money (Taking a loan to buy a Treasury Bond).

This question, however puzzling, largely depends on the buyer's personal circumstances and financial discipline and the kind of loan they can access (terms and rates).

This article seeks to analyze different situations concerning this topic, taking into account a central assumption of investing—the power of compounding. This is the long-term reinvestment of received coupon interest—gained every six months—into the another bond.

But first, “Personal finance and investment comprise 10% calculation and 90% behavior” said @nikita_helene.
This truthful sentiment is relevant when considering a 5 to 10-year investment in Treasury bonds, during which one faithfully re-invests their received coupons without withdrawals.

The specific focus in this case study will be the 10 Year Treasury Bond retuning to the primary market on April 17 2024 offering a 14.375% annual coupon, with a 10% withholding tax. This situation presents an investor with about 12.94% of the net coupon income that we will use when comparing with Loans. The bond matures in Feb 2033, offering roughly nine years of coupon reinvestment every six months for the investment value to compound.

For instance, if you invest UGX 50 million in this bond in January 2024 and consistently reinvest all the coupons received into the bond by 2033, your bond portfolio will stand a whopping UGX 168 million.

And if you increment UGX 3 million every six months on this initial amount, your portfolio could skyrocket to over UGX 300 million by 2033.

However, most people might not possess UGX 50 million in lump sum cash, and so we broach today's subject: Is it advisable to borrow to invest in a bond? Your answer should consider these factors.

The interest rate of your loan. Many can access low-interest loans at their workplaces, typically around 14% per annum.

Your other income sources. Can they finance the full loan term without withdrawing a single coin from the Treasury Bond? Salaried people are best suited here.

The willingness to re-invest all coupons fully back into the bond. Behavioral Aspect very key.

Whether your loan interest rate is a fixed rate on a reducing balance, as this allows the interest to diminish monthly as you make payments.

The loan period, Used five years.

To illustrate, consider a salaried person with a job guarantee for the next 5 to 10 years, and access to loans at 14-15% per annum. If you borrow UGX 50 million at a 15% fixed rate reducing balance for five years, your monthly payment to the lender will be approximately UGX 1.16 million. Over time, your bond portfolio increases and you handle your loan entirely from other income sources, the total amount repaid at a 15% rate by December 2028 will have been UGX 70 million. However, your bond portfolio would be valued at UGX 91 million—growing to approximately UGX 168 million by 2033—if left to mature. This venture will yield an impressive profit of over UGX 90 million by 2033 or just UGX 21 Million by 2028

With such a low interest rate on loan, you would break even in 7 months and your monthly coupon interests (Investment Revenue) would surpass your monthly interest expense (Investment Expense).

The second illustration is based on a loan from a commercial bank at an approximate 19%-21% per annum reducing balance rate. Repaying UGX 1.3 million monthly over five years for a UGX 50 million loan equates to UGX 78 million by December 2028. Despite the higher repayment amount, your bond portfolio could still grow to UGX 168 million—yielding potential profit of approximately UGX 80 million by 2033 or just UGX 11 Million by 2028.

With such a high interest rate on loan, you would break even after 2 years and your monthly coupon interests (Investment Revenue) would surpass your monthly interest expense (Investment Expense).

These calculations should provide some insight into the prospects of borrowing to finance bond investments. However, caution is advised. Thoroughly discuss your specific circumstances with a financial advisor before proceeding.

To happy investments and Merry Christmas Everyone.

Alex Kakande

[Tash Mugisha @TashTheRanger]

You have been nothing but a strong willed woman. He is not gone completely, he lives with you in memory.

[NBS Television @nbstv]

VIDEO: Hon. @WinnieKiiza weighs in on the Mpuuga UGX 500 million service award.

#NBSWCW #NBSUpdates

[Shirley Hannah Birungi @ShirleyBirunji]

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to guest lecture a Public Relations (PR) class at Makerere University where I shared about a craft I love….PR.
Effective Speech Writing & Delivery, and How Data can be incorporated into written materials frequently used by PR professionals

[Jim Spire Ssentongo @SpireJim]

MY PROBLEM WITH MWENDA’S ANALYSIS

Andrew Mwenda’s article about the #UgandaParliamentExhibition that is making rounds is interesting and makes some insightful macro political connections. However, it mainly falls short in its implicit glorification of political cynicism and concentration on analysing how the animal is chewing us without any moral concern over what it’s chewing - and how to stop it. He mainly labours to find the best position from where to observe how the animal is chewing and why.

He declares from the onset that “for me, this is politics”. If it’s politics, so what? First, it’s not only politics. It is politics that sustains it, but it is greed, theft and decadence. To look at it as just politics is to normalise it as just a Machiavellian game that we should understand and appreciate as such. It’s like saying: ‘Let politicians play their games’. For him, for the public to condemn it in view of the public injustice, their ignored problems and poor service delivery; that is “self-righteous indignation”. In other words, since in one way or another we all have weaknesses somewhere, we shouldn’t raise a finger. That is blackmailing taxpayers! For our own wrongs, let us be kept accountable too. General human fallibility should not be used to gaslight those who condemn wrongs.

He says that he knew about much of the stuff that has been exposed by the exhibition. But then he starts the article by wondering why it has taken this long for the scandal to be reported. As a journalist who had all the evidence, why didn’t he report it? He says that he waited to see what the President would do. But, even then, his “usual self-righteous indignation” was put aside when he learnt from a friend that the President used to spend a lot of money on compromising Parliament than he spends now - since the Speaker is doing the job well. Is that justifiable as a reason to have stopped Mwenda from reporting the scandal!

Between the lines, one easily reads that Mwenda writes in reverence of Museveni’s manipulative political calculations by which Parliament’s excesses are left to continue for the latter’s political benefits. He doesn’t condemn that anywhere. As a Machiavellian, for him the means are justified by the end. Thus while the animal is chewing, he is chanting on its craft in working its teeth effectively! It’s like crediting a thief for breaking in skilfully.

Even on the Speaker’s actions, he does the same. For him, her fault is “failing to manage the most important relationship with key media persons”. It is not the scandal that matters, but the fact that she allowed it to come out by not ‘managing’ journalists more effectively. This as well implies that Mwenda approves of the Speaker’s gagging and compromising Parliament journalists. For a senior journalist to incline to this is ironical.

Perhaps the most absurd is where he says that Among forgot that she has enemies who like to see her fall or, at least, publicly shamed. That she should have avoided fights with journalists like Agatha Atuhaire. This goes to downplay the concerns of the angry public and exhibitors. In other words, Agatha is only bringing out this information in jilted vengeance! I don’t know what this is meant to suggest about her.

There are people within that are really unhappy with what is going on. Some of these have volunteered information. For Mwenda, of all possible reasons for insiders’ cooperation with exhibitors, it is hatred that he points out!

Now I’m left wondering, how many more scandals is journalist Mwenda aware of that he is waiting to be broken so that he comes out to analyse them for us! To help us understand that they are just politics 101!