MPs halt transfer of govt properties to foreign affairs ministry
Sep 07, 2009
THE parliamentary foreign affairs committee has recommended that the proposed transfer of Uganda’s property abroad to the foreign affairs ministry be halted until Parliament studies the situation.
By Madinah Tebajjukira
THE parliamentary foreign affairs committee has recommended that the proposed transfer of Uganda’s property abroad to the foreign affairs ministry be halted until Parliament studies the situation.
In a report on the recurrent and development estimates for the foreign affairs ministry for the financial year 2009/10, the committee called for an urgent law to regulate the acquisition, development and management of Ugandan properties abroad.
The properties are currently managed by the Uganda Property Holdings Limited, under the finance ministry.
The MPs noted that though Ugandan properties abroad were in a deplorable state due to poor maintenance, transferring them to the foreign ministry would not improve the situation.
The report, to be presented to Parliament this week, stated that the foreign affairs ministry lacked enough staff to oversee the properties.
There has been tension between the ministries of finance and foreign affairs over ownership and management of the Ugandan property abroad.
Whereas foreign affairs argues that the properties should be reverted to them for diplomatic immunity, finance insists that commercial properties do not need any diplomatic immunity to operate.
THE parliamentary foreign affairs committee has recommended that the proposed transfer of Uganda’s property abroad to the foreign affairs ministry be halted until Parliament studies the situation.
In a report on the recurrent and development estimates for the foreign affairs ministry for the financial year 2009/10, the committee called for an urgent law to regulate the acquisition, development and management of Ugandan properties abroad.
The properties are currently managed by the Uganda Property Holdings Limited, under the finance ministry.
The MPs noted that though Ugandan properties abroad were in a deplorable state due to poor maintenance, transferring them to the foreign ministry would not improve the situation.
The report, to be presented to Parliament this week, stated that the foreign affairs ministry lacked enough staff to oversee the properties.
There has been tension between the ministries of finance and foreign affairs over ownership and management of the Ugandan property abroad.
Whereas foreign affairs argues that the properties should be reverted to them for diplomatic immunity, finance insists that commercial properties do not need any diplomatic immunity to operate.