Kasaija unveils budget month, calls on Ugandans to report corruption
Kasaija said that transparency is an important milestone in transforming how Uganda plans, implements, and monitors public investments.
Matia Kasaija (left) Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development prepares to write on the board to launch the National Budget month in Kampala 29 May 2025. Julius Mukunda Executive Director of Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG). (Photos by Wilfred Sanya)
By John Ricks Kayizzi
Journalists @New Vision
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Activities that will lead to the unveiling of the annual budget for the 2025/2026 National Budget have been launched in what has been dubbed the National Budget Month.
While launching the National Budget Month at the Uganda Media Centre today (Thursday), Matia Kasaija, the minister of Finance and National Planning, said that the Government is looking at curtailing the theft of public funds, so that all finances are well utilized, as the budget expands.
“As we strive to deepen citizen engagement and strengthen ownership of the budget process, we call upon you to report corruption practices, so that we can utilize these finances well for the advancement of the country,” he said.
He said that transparency is an important milestone in transforming how Uganda plans, implements, and monitors public investments.
“As we embark on the implementation of the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), our ambition is to grow Uganda's economy from $50b to $500b in the next 15 years. Achieving this will require better planning, efficient use of public resources and timely delivery of high-impact projects,” he said.
Kasaija said that the NDP IV policy will ensure that every shilling invested delivers real value through job creation.
“And I emphasize the job creation. I want to create jobs as many as possible because, in Uganda, we are prolific in terms of when we need to produce children. Now, for those children, we must cater for them. We must plan for their schools and getting jobs after they have completed their studies.”
Kasaija said that going forward, all government projects will be guided by the NDP IV to ensure they are completed on time, within budget and to the right quality standards.
Pay taxes
Kasaija urged Ugandans to meet their tax obligations if the country is to grow.
(L-R); Dr Arthur Bainomugisha, the Executive Director ACODE, Julius Mukunda Executive Director of Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), Matia Kasaija Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development, Stephen Asiimwe, the Executive Director of Private Sector Foundation (PSF) and Patrick Ocailap, the Deputy Secretary to Treasury pose for a group at the launch of National Budget month in Kampala 29 May 2025. 
“I remember my father, whenever he paid his tax, he would spend that night dancing. But today, people are refusing to pay taxes. Do you want me to mortgage your country for money to do public works? Please, business people, those who are working, pay your taxes. These taxes are meant to make your life easier,” he said.
He said as a small farmer in his village, he has been assessed and asked to pay taxes worth sh200m.
“I don't know how I'm going to raise that money, but I will raise it and pay. I will sell some of my cattle and clear that tax obligation," he said.
Budget month activities
Patrick Ocailap, the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, who represented Ramadhan Ggoobi, the Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary, said that the ministry in collaboration with the Budget Transparency and Accountability Partners will hold targeted (19:50) engagements to effectively communicate the budget and enable stakeholders to effectively monitor and oversee the budget.
He said the key national budget month activities will include the pre- and post-budget speech media engagements on topical issues between June 5- 12 July.
“The pre-budget dialogue on the state of the economy by SEATINI will be held on Tuesday, 10 June. The budget reading will be next week on Thursday, 12 June. The Post-budget breakfast conference on tax measures by URA will be on Friday, 13th June,” he said.
He added that the business-to-budget high-level dialogue under the theme “Assessing the effects of the budget on growth trade and private sector by CSBAG" will be held on Tuesday, 17 June, while the post-budget dialogue to facilitate public discussion and feedback on the approved budget by ACCORD and CSBAG will be on Wednesday, 18th June.
The post-budget East African Community tax and debt dialogue on tax measures will be held on Thursday, 26 June.
“The private sector National dialogue on wealth creation initiatives, business and economic recovery by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) will be held on Monday, 16 June, and regional dialogues will be held from Wednesday, 18 June to Friday, 27 June,” he said.
Ocailap said that the regional budget engagements and taxpayers' dialogue on opportunities in the budget and tax measures by URA will be held from 19 to 27 June 2025.
“To cap it all up, he said they will also have dialogue with journalists and editors on the national budget on Friday, 27 June.”