MPs irked by continuous supplementary budget request for statehouse

PARLIAMENT 

Members of Parliament on the budget committee were Monday irked by continuous supplementary budget requests by State House.

Meeting officials from the Ministry of Finance, led by State Minister David Bahati, the MPs noted that the ministry had previously requested for sh201b of which sh200b was to cater for classified expenditure and sh1b to cater for scientists developing the anti-tick vaccine.

According to Bahati, the money was provided following a directive from President Yoweri Museveni to fund the anti-tick vaccine programme.

Bahati said again under supplementary schedule2, State House needs sh250b to cater for classified expenditures.

"Government has been faced with a number of critical expenditures and this has necessitated preparation for supplementary schedule2.  Schedule2 is over and above the 3% legal requirement and therefore requires prior approval of parliament," he said.

Parliament last year approved a national budget of sh45.4 trillion. Of the total budget, state house was allocated sh400b.
However, Bahati said during the execution of the budget, government experienced a number of pressures which have necessitated issuance of supplementary expenditure of sh3.4 trillion.

He said some of the funds were not availed to the respective institutions as the financial year was coming to an end and as such necessitated preparation of supplementary expenditures.

But the MPs were concerned that over the years, the ministry has been presenting a supplementary for state house.

"Every time a supplementary budget is presented, there's huge amount requested for state-house. Why don't you raise its budget ceiling rather than presenting supplementary," MP Richard Othieno said.

The MPs also criticized the minister for ‘hiding' huge expenditures in classified.

"Surely, look at the budget for these two items. You make state house looks so ugly," Othieno added.

Cecilia Ogwal said the requests make state house look "greedy."  "You can imagine. You are the people tainting the image of state house," she said.

The MPs wondered why the anti-tick vaccine funds were not budgeted by the line Ministry.

Bahati denied the allegations saying all the activities budgeted for under state house are urgent and required.

He said there's a committee that scrutinizes classified expenditures and members were free to look out for its report.