Sudhir Claims Top Taxpayer Status In Real Estate, Defends Asian-Owned Businesses

Ruparelia Group Chairman Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia has declared himself among Uganda’s biggest taxpayers in the real estate sector, while mounting a robust defence of the economic contribution made by Ugandan entrepreneurs of Asian origin, saying the community creates jobs and drives growth rather than displacing local workers.

Speaking during a wide-ranging engagement at Crane Chambers in Kampala, Ruparelia said businesses owned by Ugandans of Indian origin are creating employment opportunities and powering economic transformation across multiple sectors of the country’s economy.

“I’m employing over ten thousand people,” he said, pushing back on narratives that suggest Asian-owned enterprises compete against ordinary Ugandans for livelihoods.

Ruparelia, who turned 70 this year, pointed out that Uganda’s Asian community comprises roughly 30,000 people out of a national population of approximately 50 million. Despite its relatively small size, he argued that the community punches well above its weight in investment, manufacturing, and national revenue.

He stressed that tax compliance is both a legal obligation and a civic duty. “As a citizen of the country, it is my obligation to pay taxes,” he said. He disclosed that companies under the Ruparelia Group remit billions of shillings to the Uganda Revenue Authority annually. One company within the group alone pays approximately Shs2.5 billion in Value Added Tax every month and contributes around Shs30 billion in corporation tax each year.

He further revealed that his real estate operations attract more than Shs12 billion in direct taxes, with an additional Shs9 billion to Shs10 billion in VAT obligations, putting him among the largest contributors in that sector. Beyond direct taxes, the group also remits withholding taxes, employee statutory deductions, and other government obligations through its various business units.

Ruparelia attributed the group’s resilience to disciplined financial management. He explained that each of the group’s diverse arms, spanning hospitality, real estate, education, floriculture, and leisure, operates through professional structures with dedicated accounting systems. “When you enjoy doing something, then you’re doing it with passion,” he said, describing the philosophy that has guided his decades-long business journey.

At 70, he said he maintains a relatively simple lifestyle and keeps a disciplined approach to health, noting that breakfast often consists of coffee, fruit, or biscuits. Beyond business, he also serves as Nepal’s Honorary Consul in Uganda, a diplomatic role he said focuses on supporting Nepali citizens and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

The veteran businessman reflected on Uganda’s economic progress over the decades, praising improvements in infrastructure, stability, and local manufacturing. He noted that many products now found on supermarket shelves are made in Uganda, and observed that while many indigenous investors concentrate on trade and real estate, entrepreneurs of Asian origin have tended to prioritise manufacturing, hospitality, and industrial development. His remarks came as the Pan African Pyramid announced plans to honour his late son Rajiv Ruparelia’s life and legacy at a special event scheduled for August 29 at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

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