MPs okay ministry budgets

Sep 11, 2007

PARLIAMENT has passed the budgets of ministries and government departments, with the defence ministry and State House taking the lion’s share. This was amid demands by the opposition for the transparent allocation of funds to districts, pensioners and the need to transfer the proposed land acquisi

By Cyprian Musoke

PARLIAMENT has passed the budgets of ministries and government departments, with the defence ministry and State House taking the lion’s share. This was amid demands by the opposition for the transparent allocation of funds to districts, pensioners and the need to transfer the proposed land acquisition fund to the Uganda Land Commission.

The office of the President received sh34b, State House got sh36b, the office of the Prime Minister sh6b, while the ministry of defence got sh395b.

The Ministry of Public Service was allocated sh4b, foreign affairs sh60b, justice and constitutional affairs sh9b, finance sh37b, internal affairs sh11b, agriculture sh14b and local government sh4b.
Debating the provisions last week, the public accounts committee chairman, Nandala Mafabi, wondered where the sh280b the Government promised to give to pensioners had gone.

The MPs also queried whether the sh94b they recently passed for the completion of CHOGM projects was included in the foreign affairs budget.

Finance state minister Jachan Omach said the pension funds would be provided for under an Appropriations Bill he would soon present to the House.

William Oketcho, the finance committee chairman, told MPs that pensions were statutory expenses charged on the consolidated fund.

“Pensioners are always missing out in every budget we pass. Why don’t we give them their money once and for all,” inquired John Odit, the statutory authorities committee chairman.

Finance minister Ezra Suruma said he had budgeted sh280b for pensions this year.

The ministry of lands got sh6b, sh93b ministry of education and sports, at which the House inquired why sports sub sector was the most under funded.

They demanded that the sh800miliion provision for sports be explicitly spelt out, although the minister Namirembe Bitamazire had suggested that this allocation would be done administratively.

“We are not sure that through internal administrative machinery they will give the sports ministry this money,” said opposition chief whip Kassiano Wadri.

They suggested that the ministry allocates more money for sports.

But this was objected to by shadow minister John Arumadri.

Nandala Mafabi was concerned that the ministry did not regard sports as a priority.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});