As Ugandans prepare to hear the reading of the next financial year's budget, a section of legislators have expressed divergent views about the new budget. 

While others are saying all is doom and gloom for Ugandans, some MPs say poverty alleviation programmes put in place by the Government are the magic bullet to take Ugandans into the middle-income status bracket.

Tom Bright Amooti (Kyaka Central) says the budget has prioritised the need for economic recovery through the Parish Development Model programme and is optimistic that the people will benefit from the budget.

"Right now, we are fighting poverty from the grassroots and the Government is trying its level best through PDM, Emyooga," he said yesterday.

According to Amooti, such intervention will cause a difference on the ground whereby Ugandans will eventually enter the middle-income status.

For Robert Migadde (Buvuma Island), the next financial year is going to be a rough journey to pay debts and collect taxes to the expectations.

"Ugandans should prepare for harder times because when you have sh29 trillion to be collected, it means that URA will always be running after those who are defaulting," Migadde said.

The MP fears that in case the revenue collection target is not met, there might be suppression of the budget, which might lead to delayed salary payments of civil service workers since according to him, the country operates a cash budget and the priority for the next financial year is loan repayment.

Richard Lumu (Mityana North) says the debt burden will continue to affect the delivery of services.

"It is going to be a very hard year because as you pay and you borrow more, that means the burden is increasing. So, the taxpayers are going to sweat plasma so that they pay taxes," he said.