MPs reject sh1b request for Angola embassy

Nov 23, 2020

The finance ministry requires sh2.6b to set up the embassy.

Parliament has rejected a sh1b supplementary request to enable the foreign affairs ministry establish an embassy in Angola. This was after the budget committee, chaired by Amos Lugoloobi, informed the House that there was no money for the activity, given the numerous urgent pressing issues on the budget.

While presenting the request to the committee early this month, the foreign affairs  ministry permanent secretary, Patrick Mugoya, informed the members that the fundamental reason for opening the Uganda Embassy in Angola was for security and other bilateral reasons.

Recently, President Yoweri Museveni appointed the former director general of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Col (rtd) Kaka Bagyenda, Uganda's ambassador to Angola.  

However, when Kaka was invited to interface with the parliamentary appointments committee, he did not turn up.  

WHY ANGOLA

Mugoya told the committee that Angola is a member of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that has been co-ordinating the fi ght against negative forces (ADF, M23, etc) in the region.

Additionally, Angola has been a key mediator in the mending of relations between Uganda and Rwanda.  

Lugoloobi told Parliament that absence of a direct diplomatic presence in a country of interest poses a serious obstacle to successful pursuit of foreign policy goals and limits the capacity to access and regularly engage with the leadership on matters of mutual interest.

"Opening the Angola Mission will, therefore, deepen political, economic, trade, social and cultural relations between the two countries. The foreign affairs ministry informed the committee that they had requested for sh2.657b to cover eight months, but the finance ministry only provided sh1b," Lugoloobi said.

However, he said despite the importance and purpose for establishing the embassy, the Government has not yet indicated the source of funding.

ALLOWANCES 

According to the report, the finance ministry requires sh2.6b to set up the embassy. The ministry wanted sh557m for allowances, sh809m for local staff salaries, sh128m for social security contributions, sh39m for medical, sh64m for office operational costs, sh349m for rent (chancery & official residence), sh638m for utilities, sh62m machinery and equipment and sh532m for transportation.

Parliament also rejected the supplementary budget of sh5b by the finance  ministry for implementing the Electronic Government Procurement System (E-GP). The MPs noted that the supplementary budget is by law supposed to cater for unforeseen expenditures.

"The expenditure was foreseeable. The system commenced in July 2020.  The ministry knew the project would start in June 2020 and, therefore, should have planned and budgeted for it in the FY 2020/21," Lugoloobi said.

In addition, he said no source of funds to fi nance this request has been provided to the committee. The system is intended to support the Government to carry out complete   public procurement and disposal processes electronically.  

OTHER REQUESTS

Other requests rejected include sh3b request to support Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) in the delivery of its mandate as a national broadcaster to educate, inform, guide and entertain Ugandans.

Although the committee noted that all the subvention funds from the Government to the agency for FY2020/2021 were cut to nil, making it diffi cult for the corporation to effectively operate, it still recommended that the approval be deferred, pending availability of the source funding.

APPROVALS

Parliament, however, approved the request of sh4b meant to enable Kayunga Hospital expand its bed capacity in order to operate as a referral hospital and sh2b for the integrated intelligence computer system in the Offi ce of the Prime Minister.

They also approved   the supplementary request of sh44.67b to NITA-U for the implementation of the Regional Communication Infrastructure Programme, sh960m to Kabale University for the completion of the medical school, sh4.1b to local governments for Universal Secondary Education grant funds and UNEB fees, as well as sh533m to Kabale Municipality for capital projects, including the completion of the construction of the council hall and doctor's house, which is part of the upgrading of Kamukira Health Centre IV to a hospital. 

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