MPs to table pensions bill, taxpayers cry foul
Jul 15, 2003
Ugandans are breathing fire over reports that Members of Parliament (MPs) are soon debating a bill that will legally give them pension
By Vision Reporter
Ugandans are breathing fire over reports that Members of Parliament (MPs) are soon debating a bill that will legally give them pension.
“But is it not laughable how our MPs regard themselves? Are they now bent on another legal looting spree of the tax-payer? There is no way a minimum qualification of A-level can justify the salary and benefits the MPs are giving themselves,†screamed Jono Ongotich.
Nothing unites the Ugandan parliament more than a bill concerning their benefits and salaries. When such a bill comes to parliament, quorum will be raised much easily.
In the latest of their money related bills, MPs shall be paid pension for 15 years. This is if the parliamentary pensions bill 2003 becomes law. Members aged above 45, in their second term of service shall be entitled to a monthly pension until 2021, if they retire in 2006.
The spouse and child of a member who dies before turning 45 will be getting gratuity equal to two years of his salary. This means these families can easily walk away with close to sh34m.
They are proposing forfeiting 6% of their monthly salary, which is about sh344,860 as part of their contribution to the scheme. The rest is to be met by government. “They are actually just requesting from government and not demanding as people are trying to put it,†explains Kagole Kivumbi, Clerk to parliament.
The MPs want the act to be back-dated to 1996 in a bid to give old members who might retire in 2006 a chance to benefit.
In June this year, Ben Wacha (Oyam) requested for permission to draft a parliamentary pensions bill. Reports indicate that he has already drafted the bill. He has also met Henry Kajura, the minister of public service and discussed the matter. The bill is obviously rosy and will be easily adopted.
However, the public sees this differently. “It is becoming more and more obvious that the members are in the house to enrich themselves,†says Musa Lwanga.
Augustine Wadimba, a political analyst, says the proposal of any more money to the MPs is outrageous and unjust. He compares the incomes of the MPs to people in other professions.
“Soldiers receive less than sh3m on average when they die. Many of the families of dead soldiers are still languishing in poverty because there is no money to pay for their pension. Teachers receive less pension. Why should MPs receive such huge amounts of money?†he asks, before adding, “Ugandans will be robbed if this bill becomes law.â€
Already, the house is one of the largest in the region. Monthly, government spends at least sh2.2b on salaries and benefits alone. “The debate on how to give benefits to themselves would have been worthy if they were even thinking about a debate to reduce the size of the house,†says Edward Lutwama.
But Kagole Kivumbi says being an MP is a job, like any other government job. He explains that this is why MPs are entitled to pension.
During his state of the nation address three weeks ago, President Museveni hinted that MPs will be given more funds to develop their constituencies. The President never mentioned a figure.
MPs receive sh150,000 as constituency development money. But this is not enough. There are reports now that they are proposing a figure of sh6m per month!
This figure is said to have been proposed by Augustine Ruzindana, former IGG, during a meeting of the Movement Caucus last week. Only one MP Hope Mwesigye tried to propose that the said constituency development fee be channelled through the decentralisation programme.
If this figure is passed, each member will be walking away with at least sh10m per month. This amount is enough to pay 40 army officers at the rank of private. With 304 members in the house, taxpayers will be spending sh3.4b each month. Betty Kamya of the Reform Agenda is not amused.
“The cream of Uganda’s society is promoting politics to new levels of commercialisation,†she laments. She adds that it would make more sense if the sh72m a member is likely to receive in a year was used for bursaries in the constituency. “We would have 10,944 new graduates every three years, in addition to the current 7,500,†she says.
“Have they provided accountability for the sh150,000 they have been receiving?†asks Abraham Nkwanga, a political analyst from Makerere. He says very few MPs go back to their constituencies to mobilise.
Parliament has entered a health insurance scheme with International Air Ambulance. The scheme will cost the parliamentary budget sh4.7b.
The only disagreement in the house over the health scheme is over the way it was passed. Jack Sabiiti says the scheme was not exhaustively debated. Most of the MPs are against this scheme because they will have to forfeit sh2.4m given to them under a previous medical scheme. Only Lukyamuzi donated part of this benefit to a health centre in his constituency.
Many members are heavily indebted. “Some of my colleagues get negative pay slips every month. I would not have liked to be part of a scheme seen as robbery by the population, but there is nothing I can do,†says a vocal member. Most MPs say a lot of their earnings are spent on making constituents happy. Latif Ssebagala (Kawempe North) has even got a day he refers to as “Donation Day.†This is when he gives to his people.
“By the time we leave this house, we shall have nothing to show for our stay. If that pension scheme goes through, that will be our benefit,†a member says. Article 85 that governs emoluments for parliament allows members to decide on how much they are to earn.
Perhaps, Ugandan MPs are copying from their Kenyan and Tanzanian neighbours. Both countries have got a contributory pension scheme similar to the one our MPs are proposing.
Kenyan legislators earn the equivalent of about Ugandan sh20m a month. The raise was made by the legislators in march this year amidst protests from the population. They also gave themselves allowances to buy cars. The difference is that Kenya has got 222 legislators, compared to Uganda’s 304.
In Tanzania, legislators earn the equivalent of Ugandan sh15m a month. This is in addition to cars.
Ugandans are breathing fire over reports that Members of Parliament (MPs) are soon debating a bill that will legally give them pension.
“But is it not laughable how our MPs regard themselves? Are they now bent on another legal looting spree of the tax-payer? There is no way a minimum qualification of A-level can justify the salary and benefits the MPs are giving themselves,†screamed Jono Ongotich.
Nothing unites the Ugandan parliament more than a bill concerning their benefits and salaries. When such a bill comes to parliament, quorum will be raised much easily.
In the latest of their money related bills, MPs shall be paid pension for 15 years. This is if the parliamentary pensions bill 2003 becomes law. Members aged above 45, in their second term of service shall be entitled to a monthly pension until 2021, if they retire in 2006.
The spouse and child of a member who dies before turning 45 will be getting gratuity equal to two years of his salary. This means these families can easily walk away with close to sh34m.
They are proposing forfeiting 6% of their monthly salary, which is about sh344,860 as part of their contribution to the scheme. The rest is to be met by government. “They are actually just requesting from government and not demanding as people are trying to put it,†explains Kagole Kivumbi, Clerk to parliament.
The MPs want the act to be back-dated to 1996 in a bid to give old members who might retire in 2006 a chance to benefit.
In June this year, Ben Wacha (Oyam) requested for permission to draft a parliamentary pensions bill. Reports indicate that he has already drafted the bill. He has also met Henry Kajura, the minister of public service and discussed the matter. The bill is obviously rosy and will be easily adopted.
However, the public sees this differently. “It is becoming more and more obvious that the members are in the house to enrich themselves,†says Musa Lwanga.
Augustine Wadimba, a political analyst, says the proposal of any more money to the MPs is outrageous and unjust. He compares the incomes of the MPs to people in other professions.
“Soldiers receive less than sh3m on average when they die. Many of the families of dead soldiers are still languishing in poverty because there is no money to pay for their pension. Teachers receive less pension. Why should MPs receive such huge amounts of money?†he asks, before adding, “Ugandans will be robbed if this bill becomes law.â€
Already, the house is one of the largest in the region. Monthly, government spends at least sh2.2b on salaries and benefits alone. “The debate on how to give benefits to themselves would have been worthy if they were even thinking about a debate to reduce the size of the house,†says Edward Lutwama.
But Kagole Kivumbi says being an MP is a job, like any other government job. He explains that this is why MPs are entitled to pension.
During his state of the nation address three weeks ago, President Museveni hinted that MPs will be given more funds to develop their constituencies. The President never mentioned a figure.
MPs receive sh150,000 as constituency development money. But this is not enough. There are reports now that they are proposing a figure of sh6m per month!
This figure is said to have been proposed by Augustine Ruzindana, former IGG, during a meeting of the Movement Caucus last week. Only one MP Hope Mwesigye tried to propose that the said constituency development fee be channelled through the decentralisation programme.
If this figure is passed, each member will be walking away with at least sh10m per month. This amount is enough to pay 40 army officers at the rank of private. With 304 members in the house, taxpayers will be spending sh3.4b each month. Betty Kamya of the Reform Agenda is not amused.
“The cream of Uganda’s society is promoting politics to new levels of commercialisation,†she laments. She adds that it would make more sense if the sh72m a member is likely to receive in a year was used for bursaries in the constituency. “We would have 10,944 new graduates every three years, in addition to the current 7,500,†she says.
“Have they provided accountability for the sh150,000 they have been receiving?†asks Abraham Nkwanga, a political analyst from Makerere. He says very few MPs go back to their constituencies to mobilise.
Parliament has entered a health insurance scheme with International Air Ambulance. The scheme will cost the parliamentary budget sh4.7b.
The only disagreement in the house over the health scheme is over the way it was passed. Jack Sabiiti says the scheme was not exhaustively debated. Most of the MPs are against this scheme because they will have to forfeit sh2.4m given to them under a previous medical scheme. Only Lukyamuzi donated part of this benefit to a health centre in his constituency.
Many members are heavily indebted. “Some of my colleagues get negative pay slips every month. I would not have liked to be part of a scheme seen as robbery by the population, but there is nothing I can do,†says a vocal member. Most MPs say a lot of their earnings are spent on making constituents happy. Latif Ssebagala (Kawempe North) has even got a day he refers to as “Donation Day.†This is when he gives to his people.
“By the time we leave this house, we shall have nothing to show for our stay. If that pension scheme goes through, that will be our benefit,†a member says. Article 85 that governs emoluments for parliament allows members to decide on how much they are to earn.
Perhaps, Ugandan MPs are copying from their Kenyan and Tanzanian neighbours. Both countries have got a contributory pension scheme similar to the one our MPs are proposing.
Kenyan legislators earn the equivalent of about Ugandan sh20m a month. The raise was made by the legislators in march this year amidst protests from the population. They also gave themselves allowances to buy cars. The difference is that Kenya has got 222 legislators, compared to Uganda’s 304.
In Tanzania, legislators earn the equivalent of Ugandan sh15m a month. This is in addition to cars.