1. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, "Minister" includes any person authorised by regulations made under this Act for the collection of airport service charges.
2. Imposition of service charge
(1)Subject to this section, the amount of airport charges payable by a passenger departing by aircraft from any airport in Uganda in respect of each flight to a destination outside Uganda shall, in respect of—
(a)a non-Ugandan passport holder, be twenty United States dollars; and
(b)a Ugandan passport holder, be the equivalent of twenty United States dollars in Uganda shillings.
(2)The amount of airport charges payable by a passenger departing from any airport in Uganda, in respect of a flight to a destination in Uganda, shall be five hundred shillings per person.
(3)This Act shall not apply in respect of a person who is—
(a)a child under two years;
(b)a passenger in transit, who is staying less than twenty-four hours in Uganda;
(c)a passenger in transit who satisfies the Minister that he or she has been unavoidably delayed in Uganda; and
(d)a passenger who satisfies the Minister that he or she is a person travelling on Government duty.
3. Liability of owners of aircraft
It shall be the duty of every person who owns or has responsibility for an aircraft to ensure that the service charge payable under this Act has been paid before the embarkation of the passenger.
4. Offence and penalty
(1)Any person who contravenes any provision of this Act or of Regulations made under it commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both such fine and imprisonment.
(2)Where a person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is—
(a)a body of persons being a body corporate, every director and officer of the body corporate shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence;
(b)a body of persons being a firm, every partner of that firm shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence.
(3)No person shall be convicted for an offence under subsection (2) if he or she proves that the offence was committed without his or her knowledge or that he or she exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.
5. Regulations
The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations—
(a)specifying airports at which this Act shall apply;
(b)for the payment and collection of airport service charges under this Act; and
(c)generally for carrying out the principles and purposes of this Act.
6. Variation of charges
(1)The Minister may, by statutory instrument, vary the amount of airport service charges specified in section 2.
(2)An instrument made under subsection (1) shall be laid before Parliament, and shall be subject to annulment by Parliament, and shall cease to have effect when so annulled, but without prejudice to anything done under it or to the making of a further instrument.