Ministry of Finance releases sh15.9 trillion for second quarter

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The Ministry of finance has released sh15.9 trillion to cater for government expenditures for the months of October to December, representing 22.2% of the approved budget.

The approved Budget for Financial Year 2024/25 amounts to sh72.137 trillion.

Announcing the expenditure limit release for the second quarter for the financial year 2024/25, Finance Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, said the releases are based on the quarterly Work Plans and Procurement Plans of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and taking into consideration the projected resource inflows.

Of the total allocation, sh3.7 trillion is current while sh4.5 trillion is development budget.

According to the release, the biggest percentage of sh3.7 trillion is to cater for non-wage recurrent of which sh281.73b is to cater for Pension and Gratuity, sh145.32b to Local Governments, sh103.32b to all Public Universities, Uganda Management Institute Law Development Centre in line with the semester requirements, sh37.37b for Examination Boards for example Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) and Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB).

The Ministry of Finance has also allocated sh48.9b to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to cater for Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) requirements.

Health institutions' operational funds have also been released. Referral Hospitals including Mulago and Butabika Hospitals have been allocated sh36.97b, Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) sh19.93b, Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) sh7.17b, Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) sh4.14b, subventions under Ministry of Health sh21.85b for medical interns' salaries; and sh299.74b to National Medical Stores (NMS) for the purchase of essential drugs and medicines.

The Ministry of Finance has also allocated operational funds for Security institutions of which Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA) has been allocated sh307.26b, Uganda Police Force sh64.56b Uganda Prisons Services sh56.50 b, Internal Security Organisation sh28.08b and External Security Organisation sh23.4b.

The Parliament of Uganda was allocated sh251.52b, Judiciary sh73.15b Auditor General sh13.48b, Science Technology and Innovation sh60.26b Revenue generating entities for example National Citizenship and Immigration Control sh67.07b, Uganda Registration Services Bureau sh13.26b, National Lotteries and Gaming Board sh2.39b, National Environment Management Authority sh12.34b and Uganda National Bureau of Standards sh11.75 b.

Ggoobi said the quarter two release is in line with the continued effort of fiscal consolidation through coordinated fiscal and monetary policy but also mindful of the need to fund the government’s strategy of ten-fold growth strategy.

He also asked all Accounting Officers to ensure that they pay salaries, pensions and gratuity by the 28th day of every month and as per the approved salary scales and display the payrolls for salaries and monthly pension on Government institutions' notice boards every month.

“Accounting Officers must prioritize payment of service providers on time and clearance of domestic arrears to avoid further accumulation of arrears and penalties. I wish to emphasize this — there should be no creation of arrears,” he said.

He warned against recruitment without clearance from the Ministry of Public Service. “No recruitment should be done without authority from the Ministry of Public Service. Recruitment should be done after ascertaining availability of adequate wage from this Ministry,” he said.

Ggoobi also said accounting Officers are required to ensure that every promotion and re-deployment of staff made to a different cost center should be backed up by adequate wage provision.

“Accounting Officers should ensure timely submission of warrants to this Ministry for approval by Friday, 18th October, 2024. In the same vein, quarterly performance reports should be submitted within the timelines stipulated in the law,”