New Plastic Tax Sparks Industry Backlash As Manufacturers Warn Of Job Losses, Dumping & Price Shocks » Business Focus

New Plastic Tax Sparks Industry Backlash As Manufacturers Warn Of Job Losses, Dumping & Price Shocks » Business Focus

Kirunda Magoola, a Director at Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda Uganda’s proposed US$1,500 per tonne levy on plastics is facing fierce opposition from manufacturers, who warn it will kill jobs, cripple recycling investment, fuel smuggling, and push basic goods beyond the reach of ordinary Ugandans when it takes effect in July 2026. The tax, embedded in the Shs84.3 trillion national budget passed last week, adds Shs5.55 million to every tonne of plasti…

New Plastic Tax Sparks Industry Backlash as Manufacturers Warn of Job Losses, Dumping, Price shocks

Uganda’s boldest environmental tax is also shaping up to be one of its most controversial budget decisions in years. The US$1,500 per tonne levy on plastics, embedded in the Shs84.3 trillion national budget passed last week, will add Shs5.55 million to every tonne of plastic entering the formal market when it takes effect in July 2026. The government says it will raise revenue and force industry leaders to take pollution seriously, while industr…