MPs have asked finance minister, Matia Kasaija to present to Parliament the details of the performance of the sh48 trillion budget that was appropriated by Parliament in the financial year 2022/23.

The report was scheduled to be presented to Parliament last week, but it was not.  

This was after budget committee chairperson Wamakuyu Mudini informed the House chaired by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa that efforts to have the ministry table the information had proved futile. 

“For now, we don't know how the budget we appropriated is performing because we don't have its performance report from the finance ministry. When we ask them for the information, they keep promising to bring it, but they don’t,” he said.

Wamakuyu, however, said instead of a full detailed report, the ministry has decided to include the highlights in the Budget Framework Paper for the financial year 2023/24. 

MP Elijah Okupa wondered why the finance ministry had failed to submit the information despite having over four ministers. 

“Knowing how the previous budget performed is key for us to move when we are appropriating funds for this year’s budget. They must be hiding somethings because we know that every time we budget money, the ministry sometimes does not execute the budget as required. They are a number of activities they were supposed to release money for but did not. This could be the reason for being cagy,” he said. 

Okupa said sanctions should be instituted against individuals who failed to do their work. 

Parliament is currently considering the Budget Framework Paper which shows budget estimations for different government entities for the financial year 2023/24. 

Government last month tabled the National Budget Framework Paper totaling sh49.9 trillion for the Financial Year 2023/2024. 

According to the Public Finance Management Act, the Government should table the budget framework paper before Parliament by December 31, 2022, and by February 01, 2023, the House should have approved the budget framework paper. 

According to the document, the preliminary resource envelope for Financial Year 2023/2024 is projected to increase from sh48.1 trillion in the financial year 2022/23 to sh49.9 trillion.

Tayebwa briefed the House that when the committee briefed him about the matter, he insisted that it should be a standalone item with all the details.  

“The committee informed me about the matter, but I insisted that the performance of the budget should be presented as a full detailed report. The committee should go back and work on the issue and then report back on Tuesday, “he said.