MPs quiz health officials over sh2b Ebola funds

By Henry Sekanjako

MPs on the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts have grilled Ministry of Health officials for spending sh2b on allowances to medical personnel and staff members during the outbreak of the Ebola disease in the country.

In a meeting on Thursday with Ministry of Health officials led by Asuman Lukwago, the ministry’s Permanent secretary, the MPs expressed concern over the expenditure saying spending all the money on allowances was unjustified.

“Was this an entire expenditure on the disease outbreak or only allowances? This is too much money to be spent on allowances,” said Timothy Lwanga the MP Kyamuswa County MP.

According to the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended June 2014, the money which was meant for the outbreak of Ebola and nodding disease was diverted to cater for allowances.

“Was the money budgeted for Ebola outbreak allowances? It doesn’t relate to the figure that was budgeted for allowances,” said Mwiru, the acting chairperson PAC.

However in his explanation to the committee, Lukwago told the MPs that the money was budgeted for under the item allowances.

“These allowances were paid to our officials who were handling the Ebola outbreak in Western Uganda as well as nodding disease in Northern Uganda,” said Lukwago.

Lukwago further defended the allowances paid to the health officials saying Ebola was a deadly disease where one risks their lives to treat others.

“These were implementation allowances, we all know that Ebola is a risky disease, so we thought this money should be given to these people,” said Lukwago.

In the same development, the committee chaired by Jinja East MP Paul Mwiru questioned the ministry over sh10.8b in outstanding domestic arrears for the ministry.

According to the AG’s report, the ministry had unpaid balances of sh10.8b as long outstanding liabilities in respect to UMEME, National Medical Stores, JCRC, and Uganda Telecom Limited.

The Auditor General expressed concern over the delayed clearance of the balance which he said could result into disconnection of essential services to the ministry.

“This money should be cleared, it is now eight years and you have failed to pay the money,” said Mwiru.

In the report, the ministry had unsettled debts of sh3.13b to Umeme, National Medical Stores (sh3.7b), Joint Clinical Research Center (sh1.1b) and Uganda Telecom (sh61m)

Richard Tabaro, a senior accountant in the Ministry of Health however told the committee that, the ministry had so far paid sh300m of the outstanding bill saying the balance will be cleared in subsequent budgets.