MPs want ministries penalized over failure to utilize funds

By Francis Emorut                                              

Members of Parliament want government ministries penalized for not using funds allocated to them as it affects service delivery in the country.

The lawmakers singled out the ministry of agriculture which spent only 39% of the budget allocated in 2013/2014.

"If within three months you have not spent the money allocated to you (ministry) we take it away from you." Kyamusa MP Tim Lwanga demanded.

He revealed that the reason agriculture budget has not been increased this financial is due to failure of utilizing the funds in the previous fiscal year.

"People should spend money they have been allocated if we are to realize improved service delivery," he said.

Lwanga was backed by the Ibanda Woman MP, Margaret Kiboijana who said service delivery has been crippled country side due to failure by some ministries to spend money allocated to them.

"It hurts to keep appropriating money when it has not been utilized," Kiboijana said.

Bokora County MP, Terence Achia said there is need to align budget with planning processing (target outputs) and not only concentrating on figures.

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MP Tim Lwanga addressing participants during the strategic meeting with policy makers at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

"What we are seeing are figures but we don't see the outcome," Achia said.

The MPs also urged Government to utilize loans that are approved by Parliament and warned that if funds are not utilized within the specified period, they would not approve any loan.

"It puzzles me to keep approving loans when they have not been utilized and it is high time we refuse to approve it," Kiboijana said.

The lawmakers made remarks during the strategic meeting with policy makers on the national budget 2015/2016.

The meeting was organized by Forum for Women in Democracy aimed at influencing legislators to advocate for gender equity budget especially for women programmes such as family planning and special needs education as well as health and agriculture sectors.

Civil society actors urged the MPs to influence the budget that takes care of the gender equity.

"As MPs please help us to advocate for gender equity budget," Sophie Kyagulanyi the programme manager with the Forum of Women for Democracy pleaded.

MP Lwanga replied that it was too late to influence the budget at this time since it has to be approved by May 31.

"Once the budget reaches Cabinet it is difficult to influence any change," he said.

Meanwhile, MPs signed forms declaring their commitment to advocate for increased budget for education, agriculture and health sectors.