The change is comprised in the 3.48 trillion additional budget that the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija today presented before Parliament’s Budget Committee. This additional budget increases the proposed National Budget from 41.29 trillion initially presented by the Minister last week to 44.77 trillion.
Government has revised downwards the budget for
procurement of new vehicles for Members of the 11th Parliament by
Shillings 121 million for each legislator.
This brings the allocation to Shillings 200 million
from the initially requested 321 million per MP by the Parliamentary Commission
as per the financial year 2021/2022 Budget Framework Paper.
The change is comprised in the 3.48 trillion
additional budget that the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija today presented
before Parliament’s Budget Committee. This additional budget increases the
proposed National Budget from 41.29 trillion initially presented by the Minister
last week to 44.77 trillion.
Out of the 3.48 trillion additional budget, government
has allocated more 133.6 billion to the Parliamentary Commission as funding for
vehicles for MPs (110 billion), funding for office space rent (13.61 billion)
and funding for the Parliamentary Institute (10 billion). The total number of
legislators in the 11th Parliament is 529 MPs and these are set to
be sworn in from 17th to 20th May.
This additional allocation to the Parliamentary
Commission has seen an increase in the Institution’s budget from 698.3 billion to
831.9 billion.
Kenneth Mugabe, the Director Budget in the Ministry of
Finance says that this additional allocation to Parliament means that there is
no any budget shortfall in the Institution for the coming financial year
2021/2022.
David Bahati, the Minister of State for Planning also
explained that the funding for MP vehicles has been maintained at 200 million
Shillings and that the figure was agreed upon in a meeting with the
Parliamentary Commission.
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Amos Lugoloobi, the Budget Committee Chairperson said
that a similar policy for all public servants regarding purchase of cars should
be developed.
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Lugoloobi’s position was supported by Charles Illukor,
the Kumi County MP also expressed the same sentiments as Lugoloobi.
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Minister Kasaija said that his Ministry will need
Parliament’s support to ensure that a similar policy on vehicles is adopted.
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Other
Allocations in the Additional Budget
Besides Parliament, government has also allocated
additional funding to the Judiciary totaling 152 billion Shillings for
recruitment, roll out of the Electronic Court Case Management Information
System and purchase of transport equipment for Judicial Officers.
Also provided is 60 billion to the Electoral Commission
(EC) to facilitate the relocation of its Head Quarters, 2.07 billion for the
census under the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 4.5 billion under the
Ministry of Public Service to cater for payment of emoluments to former
leaders, 7.6 billion under the Ministry of Finance for Subscriptions to African
Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Development Bank and 2.59 billion to the
Leadership Code Tribunal.
The increase in the budget is also on account of
External Financing increase of 2.88 trillion (including purchase of COVID-19
Vaccines worth 480 billion), increase in Interest Payments worth 143.4 billion,
shortfalls on Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment- SAGE 57.8 billion,
support to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) 22 billion and others.
Minister Kasaija says that the revised budget
amounting to 44.78 trillion is to be financed by Domestic Revenue projected at
22.43 trillion, Petroleum Fund 200 billion, Budget Support 3.58 billion,
Domestic Financing 2.94 billion and others.
