State House to get sh170b in the next budget

BY MOSES MULONDO

State House budget is to increase by sh110b in the next financial year, according to the state minister for finance in charge of general duties, Fred Omach.

Appearing before Parliament budget committee, Omach said the increment was because State House was in the past underfunded.

“State House has been getting supplementary budgets because we have been underfunding it. When we give them the adequate budget, we don’t expect a supplementary budget,” Omach explained.

This financial year, State House was allocated sh60.2b which it exhausted by November 2012 and requested for a supplementary budget of sh138.2b.

MPs questioned the justification of sh13.7b which according to the report presented was spent on mobilization of masses towards poverty reduction and peace and development.

The legislators also rejected the justification for sh49.826 which State House has spent on 80 community outreach functions.

“When you do calculations, sh49.8b was spent on 20 community outreach functions implying that sh2.4b was spent on each of these functions. That is not possible. That is too much money,” said Buikwe South MP Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga.

 “Government promised to avail funds to cater for our fellow citizens who were affected by the landslides around mountain Elgon but money was not availed. We think this is being insensitive to the plight of people,” said the committee chairman Tim Lwanga.

The MPs are yet to discuss the appropriation for the next budget but MP Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga vowed not accept the sh110b increment for State House budget.

“The money we give to the State House is simply misused. That is why the President throws around money in sacks to the youth when our hospitals are in appalling state,” Lulume explained.  

The MPs also rejected the explanation given by Omach that State House is always underfunded.

“It is not only State House which is always given less than what is requested for. It applies to all sectors and departments.
But why is it that only State House and defence ministry get supplementary budgets and important sectors like the health are not considered in those supplementary budgets?,” wondered workers MP Dr. Sam Lyomoki.

Committee chairman Tim Lwanga proposed that sh10b be deducted from the 110b to complement the salary enhancement for judges in the next budget.