Govt scraps Constituency funding
Apr 26, 2007
THE sh10m Constituency Development Fund, given to MPs for development projects in their constituencies, has been scrapped. Parliament commissioner James Kakooza revealed yesterday that the Government had not budgeted for the fund in the next financial year.
By Apollo Mubiru
THE sh10m Constituency Development Fund, given to MPs for development projects in their constituencies, has been scrapped. Parliament commissioner James Kakooza revealed yesterday that the Government had not budgeted for the fund in the next financial year.
“The money has not been provided. One of the reasons is that there were no proper guidelines drawn for the fund,†Kakooza announced.
He said one of the irregularities with the fund was that the money was deposited on individual accounts contrary to the Public Finance and Regulations Act.
“Under the law, MPs were supposed to give accountability of the funds, which was not done,†he added.
Appearing before the parliamentary committee on legal and parliamentary affairs, chaired by Peter Nyombi, Kakooza said the parliamentary commission is to travel to Kenya to study how the fund could be fully utilised to benefit people under a multiparty system.
At the end of the Seventh Parliament in 2005, the Government introduced the Constituency Development Fund of sh10m annually.
Kakooza, however, noted that the money was not enough to bring about meaningful development. He said the MPs would continue receiving mobilisation facilitation of sh50,000 monthly.
The Uganda Debt Network conducted a survey on the Fund and established that most MPs in the Seventh Parliament did not spend the money on development which some admitted.
Kakooza argued that the new multiparty system calls for more resources in terms of funding and personnel. “If the policy making body is incapacitated, it would not carry out its constitutional obligation. MPs should be facilitated to monitor whether the money created a change in the lives of the people.â€
THE sh10m Constituency Development Fund, given to MPs for development projects in their constituencies, has been scrapped. Parliament commissioner James Kakooza revealed yesterday that the Government had not budgeted for the fund in the next financial year.
“The money has not been provided. One of the reasons is that there were no proper guidelines drawn for the fund,†Kakooza announced.
He said one of the irregularities with the fund was that the money was deposited on individual accounts contrary to the Public Finance and Regulations Act.
“Under the law, MPs were supposed to give accountability of the funds, which was not done,†he added.
Appearing before the parliamentary committee on legal and parliamentary affairs, chaired by Peter Nyombi, Kakooza said the parliamentary commission is to travel to Kenya to study how the fund could be fully utilised to benefit people under a multiparty system.
At the end of the Seventh Parliament in 2005, the Government introduced the Constituency Development Fund of sh10m annually.
Kakooza, however, noted that the money was not enough to bring about meaningful development. He said the MPs would continue receiving mobilisation facilitation of sh50,000 monthly.
The Uganda Debt Network conducted a survey on the Fund and established that most MPs in the Seventh Parliament did not spend the money on development which some admitted.
Kakooza argued that the new multiparty system calls for more resources in terms of funding and personnel. “If the policy making body is incapacitated, it would not carry out its constitutional obligation. MPs should be facilitated to monitor whether the money created a change in the lives of the people.â€