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Mar 13, 2009
PLENARY sessions were this week suspended to allow Speaker Edward Ssekandi travel to Australia to attend the annual Speakers’ conference. This happened at a time when the Deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, was in New York, attending the United Nations Wome
PLENARY sessions were this week suspended to allow Speaker Edward Ssekandi travel to Australia to attend the annual Speakers’ conference. This happened at a time when the Deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, was in New York, attending the United Nations Women’s Day celebrations.
Their absence crippled Parliament for the second time since Kadaga’s ill-health last year. It sparked off debate in the corridors of the House as to whether there should not be other deputy speakers. Many called for the amendment of the constitution to provide for the three posts of assistant speakers.
MPs Moses Kabusu (independent), Frank Tumwebaze (NRM), Magaret Kiboijana (NRM), regional affairs state minister Isaac Musumba (NRM), Betty Kamya (FDC) Stephen Kaliba (NRM), Henry Banyenzaki (NRM), Winnie Masiko (NRM) and Sam Njuba wondered what would happen incase of an emergency that needs to be addressed by the Parliament.
Dispensers oppose Pharmacy Bill
Dispensers of medicine have opposed the proposed Pharmacy Profession and Practice Bill 2006, saying it would exclude them from business.
The dispensers, under their association Allied Health Professionals, told the parliamentary social services committee on Wednesday that the Bill would restrict the dispensing of medicine to only pharmacy graduates.
They argued that those who were qualified in dispensing were professionals recognised by the Allied Health Workers Act. They said the Bill would put them under the control of the proposed pharmacy council, on which they would have no representation. Their chairman, Chris Kagusa and his deputy, Charles Okiria, said dispensers constituted about 90% of people running retail drug shops. The dispensers also objected to a provision in the Bill that compels them to work in partnership with a registered pharmacist, saying it is their right to work with whoever they wanted.
Works PS grilled over Chinese firm
While the works ministry had the right not to pay the Chinese contractors who renovated State House, Entebbe before deducting withholding tax of over sh11b, they just went ahead and paid them off.
The Auditor General, John Muwanga, in a report to Parliament, revealed that the ministry in 2004 signed an agreement with Metallurgical Construction, a Chinese company, to renovate the State House at a cost of sh38.5b. However, on examination, Muwanga said, it was revealed the ministry paid the contractor gross without deducting withholding tax worth over sh11b.
This, the Auditor General said, contravened the tax laws, for which a penalty should be incurred by the ministry. Appearing before the public accounts committee to respond to the queries on Tuesday, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Charles Muganzi, explained that the tax deductions were not made because of the confusion that was created by former finance minister Gerald Ssendawula and the Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority’s letters to the ministry.
Muganzi said whereas URA’s letter directed the company to be paid to clear their tax obligation, Ssendawula’s indicated that the company should be exempted. He said the company was paid full amount after presenting Ssendawula’s letter saying, he had exempted them from withholding tax.
harsh Penalty for drug traffickers
Drug traffickers and abusers will face a 10-year jail term or a fine, between sh2m and sh100m once convicted. Internal affairs state minister Matia Kasaija on Tuesday told the Parliamentary defence committee that drug dealers were hitherto fined sh5. Kasaija said the state would also seize property and the money of the people convicted.
He presented the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Bill 2007 to the defence committee. The Bill also criminalises the eating of mairungi, an intoxicating herb chewed by people, especially the youth and is openly sold on Kampala streets. Kasaija said drugs had caused a lot of physical and social harm to the youth.
Next week...
Committees will continue discussing several Bills before they are presented to the House for debate. The expected Bills are Pharmacy, Profession and Practice Bill 2006, which is before the social services committee, the Phone Tapping Bill, which is before the Information Communication Technology committee and the Political Parties Funding Bill, being discussed by Mps on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee.
Their absence crippled Parliament for the second time since Kadaga’s ill-health last year. It sparked off debate in the corridors of the House as to whether there should not be other deputy speakers. Many called for the amendment of the constitution to provide for the three posts of assistant speakers.
MPs Moses Kabusu (independent), Frank Tumwebaze (NRM), Magaret Kiboijana (NRM), regional affairs state minister Isaac Musumba (NRM), Betty Kamya (FDC) Stephen Kaliba (NRM), Henry Banyenzaki (NRM), Winnie Masiko (NRM) and Sam Njuba wondered what would happen incase of an emergency that needs to be addressed by the Parliament.
Dispensers oppose Pharmacy Bill
Dispensers of medicine have opposed the proposed Pharmacy Profession and Practice Bill 2006, saying it would exclude them from business.
The dispensers, under their association Allied Health Professionals, told the parliamentary social services committee on Wednesday that the Bill would restrict the dispensing of medicine to only pharmacy graduates.
They argued that those who were qualified in dispensing were professionals recognised by the Allied Health Workers Act. They said the Bill would put them under the control of the proposed pharmacy council, on which they would have no representation. Their chairman, Chris Kagusa and his deputy, Charles Okiria, said dispensers constituted about 90% of people running retail drug shops. The dispensers also objected to a provision in the Bill that compels them to work in partnership with a registered pharmacist, saying it is their right to work with whoever they wanted.
Works PS grilled over Chinese firm
While the works ministry had the right not to pay the Chinese contractors who renovated State House, Entebbe before deducting withholding tax of over sh11b, they just went ahead and paid them off.
The Auditor General, John Muwanga, in a report to Parliament, revealed that the ministry in 2004 signed an agreement with Metallurgical Construction, a Chinese company, to renovate the State House at a cost of sh38.5b. However, on examination, Muwanga said, it was revealed the ministry paid the contractor gross without deducting withholding tax worth over sh11b.
This, the Auditor General said, contravened the tax laws, for which a penalty should be incurred by the ministry. Appearing before the public accounts committee to respond to the queries on Tuesday, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Charles Muganzi, explained that the tax deductions were not made because of the confusion that was created by former finance minister Gerald Ssendawula and the Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority’s letters to the ministry.
Muganzi said whereas URA’s letter directed the company to be paid to clear their tax obligation, Ssendawula’s indicated that the company should be exempted. He said the company was paid full amount after presenting Ssendawula’s letter saying, he had exempted them from withholding tax.
harsh Penalty for drug traffickers
Drug traffickers and abusers will face a 10-year jail term or a fine, between sh2m and sh100m once convicted. Internal affairs state minister Matia Kasaija on Tuesday told the Parliamentary defence committee that drug dealers were hitherto fined sh5. Kasaija said the state would also seize property and the money of the people convicted.
He presented the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Bill 2007 to the defence committee. The Bill also criminalises the eating of mairungi, an intoxicating herb chewed by people, especially the youth and is openly sold on Kampala streets. Kasaija said drugs had caused a lot of physical and social harm to the youth.
Next week...
Committees will continue discussing several Bills before they are presented to the House for debate. The expected Bills are Pharmacy, Profession and Practice Bill 2006, which is before the social services committee, the Phone Tapping Bill, which is before the Information Communication Technology committee and the Political Parties Funding Bill, being discussed by Mps on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee.