Makerere University to cut staff allowances by 50%
MAKERERE University management has cut top-up and other administrative allowances by 50% this financial year, Parliament heard yesterday.
By Joyce Namutebi
MAKERERE University management has cut top-up and other administrative allowances by 50% this financial year, Parliament heard yesterday.
The university secretary, Samuel Akorimo, told the social services committee yesterday that the move, including the restructuring of the dean of students, estates, works and security departments, was meant to save sh1.2b.
“The exercise is in the wider principle of divesting from non-core activities,†he stated.
Akorimo was part of the team of heads of public universities who appeared before the committee to explain their budgets and policies.
The MPs asked Akorimo to explain the interventions put in place following unrest at the university, over allegations of financial mismanagement.
Akorimo explained that the university had adopted zero budgeting, whereby funds are remitted to faculties and units based on their activities rather than according to percentages.
The university council, he said, had approved a quality assurance policy and established a quality assurance directorate to undertake curriculum review to identify duplicated courses.
“The review will help relocate courses to mandated units. The process will also help to phase out courses which are not cost-effective,†he explained.
Akorimo said the university’s ranking had improved during the past six months from 59th position to 32nd on the Web Metrics Africa ranking.
He attributed this to the posting of relevant information on the web, updating it and increasing public relations.
Akorimo said the university was planning to raise sh55.4b. The money, he noted, would be collected from tuition fees, accommodation and short courses.
He said sh16.5b would be used to supplement the sh28.5b provided by the treasury to pay salaries.
MAKERERE University management has cut top-up and other administrative allowances by 50% this financial year, Parliament heard yesterday.
The university secretary, Samuel Akorimo, told the social services committee yesterday that the move, including the restructuring of the dean of students, estates, works and security departments, was meant to save sh1.2b.
“The exercise is in the wider principle of divesting from non-core activities,†he stated.
Akorimo was part of the team of heads of public universities who appeared before the committee to explain their budgets and policies.
The MPs asked Akorimo to explain the interventions put in place following unrest at the university, over allegations of financial mismanagement.
Akorimo explained that the university had adopted zero budgeting, whereby funds are remitted to faculties and units based on their activities rather than according to percentages.
The university council, he said, had approved a quality assurance policy and established a quality assurance directorate to undertake curriculum review to identify duplicated courses.
“The review will help relocate courses to mandated units. The process will also help to phase out courses which are not cost-effective,†he explained.
Akorimo said the university’s ranking had improved during the past six months from 59th position to 32nd on the Web Metrics Africa ranking.
He attributed this to the posting of relevant information on the web, updating it and increasing public relations.
Akorimo said the university was planning to raise sh55.4b. The money, he noted, would be collected from tuition fees, accommodation and short courses.
He said sh16.5b would be used to supplement the sh28.5b provided by the treasury to pay salaries.