Editor's comment: Budget teachers’ pay
Sep 04, 2005
MEMBERS of the parliamentary committee on social services want the anticipated budgetary shortfall in the teachers’ salaries included in the budget now other than as a supplementary funding in future.
MEMBERS of the parliamentary committee on social services want the anticipated budgetary shortfall in the teachers’ salaries included in the budget now other than as a supplementary funding in future.
The MPs were right to reject arguments by investment minister Semakula Kiwanuka because supplementary budgets are only passed in circumstances of unforeseen expenditures.
In this case, technocrats in the ministry of education and sports have clearly demonstrated that there will be sh3.5b and sh13b shortfall in the salaries of secondary and primary school teachers respectively. There is therefore no reason for these not to be provided in the budget now.
There is still time for the government to make reallocations from other non-priority areas to fill this funding gap. Education is ranked as first government priority.
Since regional tier governments will take off next year, the sh3.7b that was budgeted for them, which the Ministry of Local Government now plans to divert to finance the new created districts, should go to education. The sum is enough to cover the funding gap for secondary school teachers.
The Ministry of Local Government should exercise budgetary discipline by seeing to it that the new districts operate within the funds earmarked for them.
The MPs were right to reject arguments by investment minister Semakula Kiwanuka because supplementary budgets are only passed in circumstances of unforeseen expenditures.
In this case, technocrats in the ministry of education and sports have clearly demonstrated that there will be sh3.5b and sh13b shortfall in the salaries of secondary and primary school teachers respectively. There is therefore no reason for these not to be provided in the budget now.
There is still time for the government to make reallocations from other non-priority areas to fill this funding gap. Education is ranked as first government priority.
Since regional tier governments will take off next year, the sh3.7b that was budgeted for them, which the Ministry of Local Government now plans to divert to finance the new created districts, should go to education. The sum is enough to cover the funding gap for secondary school teachers.
The Ministry of Local Government should exercise budgetary discipline by seeing to it that the new districts operate within the funds earmarked for them.