Budget committee faults finance ministry on accountability

Feb 13, 2017

The committee chairman Amos Lugoloobi told the state minister for finance David Bahati that the report he presented contained nothing.

PIC: State minister for finance in charge of planning, David Bahati and Director Budget Kenneth Mugambe before the commencement of the budget committee. PHOTO BY MARIA WAMALA

The Budget committee has faulted the finance ministry for presenting an empty report which lacked the required details of how funds for the 2015/2016 budget were utilized.

The new finance law (Public Finance Management Act) in section 18 requires the finance ministry to present to parliament an accountability report on the utilization and output from the money parliament allocates for each financial year as a measure for ensuring proper utilization of public funds.

The committee chairman Amos Lugoloobi told the state minister for finance David Bahati that the report he presented contained nothing.

Calling the presentation lousy, Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi asked the committee to send away the minister so that they don't waste time debating an empty presentation.

All the other MPs on the committee agreed with Lugoloobi and resolved not to debate the report because it lacked the substantial accountability information they wanted.

Defending his minister, the ministry of finance committee chairman Kenneth Mugambe asked the committee to be lenient with them since they were presenting the report for the first time as a creation of the new law.

The minister Bahati advised the committee that if they are to get proper accountability on how each sector utilized the funds, they would have to invite ministers and accounting officers for the various sectors to answer queries regarding the sectors.

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