In a major development for East Africa’s telecommunications landscape, ATC Uganda has officially handed over its statutory 2% Gross Annual Revenue contribution to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The revenue transfer, mandated under the Uganda Communications Act of 2013, marks a significant financial and policy milestone in the country’s push toward nationwide digital inclusion.
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The statutory payout creates a direct financial pipeline for expanding connectivity:
- 50% of the funds are remitted to the national Consolidated Fund to support broader public spending.
- 50% is retained by the UCC to directly power two pivotal technology bodies: the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) and the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF), which targets broadband rollout in rural and underserved communities.
According to the UCC, the transaction underscores a maturing public-private partnership model designed to treat regulatory compliance as a shared engine for economic development rather than just a tax obligation.
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ ATC Uganda 2% Gross Revenue │
└───────────────┬───────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┴───────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ Consolidated Fund │ │ UCC Retention │
│ (50%) │ │ (50%) │
└─────────────────────┘ └──────────┬──────────┘
│
┌────────────┴────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐
│ UICT Training │ │ UCUSAF Rural │
│ & Tech Programs │ │ Broadband Access │
└────────────────────┘ └────────────────────┘
At an official press briefing, the Minister of State for ICT, Hon. Joyce Juliet Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, joined UCC leadership to highlight the strategic alignment behind the funding. The Executive Director of the UCC emphasized that contributions from major infrastructure providers represent a long-term co-investment in the country’s #ConnectedUg2030 framework and overall digital transformation goals.
However, government officials also issued a stern warning regarding a growing roadblock to digital growth: infrastructure vandalism.
Minister Ssebugwawo called on all sector stakeholders and local communities to actively protect mobile towers and telecom assets. She warned that equipment theft and sabotage directly disrupt critical services, drain financial resources, and delay economic development.
With fresh capital now flowing into rural internet initiatives and technical training centers, Uganda’s digital expansion is picking up speed—provided the nation can safeguard the physical networks powering its future.
