By Evelyn Angiji

The public’s expectations of the 11^th Parliament were high as soon as the Members of Parliament took oath in May 2021.

This Parliament was viewed as one that would make a mark as soon as they got down to work.

Armed with their core mandate of legislation, representation, budgeting and oversight, the legislators did not waste any time.

Soon after they took office, the Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, and his deputy, Anita Among, set the pace by highlighting the need for the MPs to start work and pass legislation that will have an impact on the population.

The passing of the National Social Security Fund (Amendment) Act, 2021 in November was a landmark occasion in the 11^th Parliament.

The Bill, which was assented to by the President on 04 January 2022, grants workers mid-term access to their contributions and removes restrictions for voluntary savings.

The NSSF Bill was first passed by the 10^th Parliament in February 2021 before it was returned to the House by the President and later re-tabled in the 11^th Parliament.

By enacting this law, the legislators have made a big contribution towards improving the livelihood of workers across the country, who had for a long time advocated for access to their savings so that they could invest.

Parliament also passed three Bills purposed to facilitate oil and gas activities; these are, the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Income Tax (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2021, and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline  (Special Provisions) Bill, 2021.

The object of the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2021 is to allow the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to retain a portion of the proceeds from the sale of petroleum products.

Meanwhile, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) (Special Provisions) Bill, 2021 will boost the full implementation of the oil pipeline project in Uganda.

The law will also define the local content regime applicable to the EACOP and ensure that Ugandan citizens and enterprises benefit from the project. It will also guarantee third-party access to the pipeline and define the tariff to be paid.

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill on the other hand provides for windfall tax and limitations of deductions on petroleum operations. 

In conformity with Article 82 of the Constitution, which highlights the mandate of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, MPs passed the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which now includes the Deputy Speaker as a Member of the Parliamentary Commission.  Previously, the Deputy Speaker was not a member of the Parliamentary Commission.

As part of their oversight role, Members carried out various activities that culminated into the adoption of four reports by the House.  

The House received, debated and adopted the report of the Parliamentary Task Force on the National COVID-19 Response.  

The Task Force was mandated to inquire into and report on the government’s preparedness and response to COVID-19 and to provide an assessment of the health impact of COVID-19 on the community and the country at large.

Following the report of the taskforce, the legislators called for a forensic audit into the sh4 trillion that was meant to fight the COVID-19 pandemic since its onset in March 2020, to ascertain value for money.  

The House also received various reports arising from the oversight activity on the implementation of the Emyooga programme in the country. 

Following reports of irregularities in the implementation of the programme, legislators were tasked to assess the impact of the Emyooga funds in their constituencies prior to the commencement of the much-anticipated Shs 490 billion Parish Development Model (PDM).

The legislators faulted government for the systemic failure in the implementation of the emyooga presidential initiative rolled out in October 2020 aimed at wealth and job creation.

According to sub-regional reports presented after their assessment visits to the constituencies, MPs discovered that the implementation design of the emyooga initiative was marred by several inconsistencies and mishaps, which crippled the desired outcome.

In response to the sub-regional reports, the Shadow Minister of Finance, Muwanga Kivumbi, advised the government to establish a price stabilisation fund to create buffer stocks that give government a free hand to either introduce stock or buy excess stock from farmers to ensure price stability.

He also called for the re-establishment of the Cooperative Bank, which he said would have the confidence to loan to farmers as against the risk-averse commercial banks that cannot tolerate the uncertainties surrounding agriculture and the other interventions listed in the programme.

The Prime Minister, in carrying out her role as Leader of Government Business in Parliament, responded to 76 questions from Members during Prime Minister’s Time, and also guided on various issues, especially those concerning Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the core roles of the Opposition in Parliament is to provide alternatives and influence legislation in Parliament. In this regard, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, through the Shadow Cabinet, presented six statements to Parliament, which included statements on   the state of the education sector;  the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron; and the shrinking civic space, among others.

During the First Session, two petitions were also presented in the House, 97 questions were answered by different sector ministers and 49 ministerial statements were made.  

Upon resumption of the House, legislators are expected to process the Markets Bill, 2021; the Mineral and Mining Bill, 2021; the Succession (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and the Supplementary Appropriation No.3 Bill, 2021. Others include the Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 Bill, 2021; the re-tabled Landlord and Tenant Bill, 2021; the Physical Planners Registration Bill, 2021; and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2021.

The writer is Information Officer, Parliament of Uganda