Finance minister warns MDAs on gender compliance

The finance minister Matia Kasaija has warned that government ministries, departments and agencies which will not comply with the gender and equity mainstreaming as the Public Finance Management Act will not have their budgets approved in the next budgeting cycle.

Kasaija made the remarks today during the inauguration of the five year gender and equity capacity development plan which will cost government sh31b.    

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga launched a five year plan which is aimed at promoting gender and equity compliance in the budgeting process and making of laws.

The plan has been developed by Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in conjunction with the ministries of finance and gender and UK's Department for International Development.

The EOC chairperson Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi revealed that in the 2017/2018 national budget, about 40% of government entities failed to meet the gender and equity compliance pass mark of 50% as the law requires.

"Findings of all the assessments we have made for the last three national budgets revealed limited capacity of sectors, ministries, departments and agencies to discern gender and equity issues. This plan has been developed to address the gender and equity capacity gaps to enhance compliance," Ntambi explained.

Calling her their role model, Ntambi commended Kadaga as a champion for promoting gender and equity development especially for having spearheaded the creation of Equal Opportunities Commission and inclusion of gender mainstreaming in the Public Finance Management Act. 

The DFID head of office Jennie Barugh said the plan will greatly help Uganda to properly use public finance spending to reduce inequalities.