Finance Ministry accused of frustrating budget process

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament has expressed disappointment with the conduct of the Ministry of Finance for failing to present the additional figures to the financial year 2020/2021 National Budget.

Kadaga made the statement on Tuesday after she indicated that the Ministry needed space on the order paper to allow the presentation of additional figures to the Budget.

She said that this was the third time that the Finance Ministry was presenting additional figures frustrating progress of work on the budget.

Kadaga demanded an explanation from the Minister of State for Planning David Bahati on why the additional budget figures were coming late and interrupting the budget process.

In response, Bahati apologized to parliament saying that the Ministry of Finance had received the figures concerning the non-tax revenues late from the different government agencies.

The Speaker expressed frustration saying that parliament was scheduled to receive the Budget Committee report on the financial year 2020/2021 budget today and that with the new figures, the report could not be presented without first scrutinizing them.

Amos Lugoloobi, the Budget Committee Chairperson confirmed that the committee would need at least one hour to scrutinize the new figures before presenting their report. Kadaga granted leave to the committee members from the plenary sitting to allow scrutiny of the figures before the report on the Budget is presented.

Last week, Speaker Kadaga rapped officials from the Ministry of Finance for failing to observe requirements under the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 (PFMA) saying that their actions continue to juggle up the budget process.

Kadaga’s statement then followed a presentation of a second additional (corrigenda) budget to the Shillings 45.5 trillion 2020/2021 financial year budget.

Parliament has since the enactment of the PFMA in 2015 been at loggerheads with the Ministry of Finance and other government ministries, departments and agencies for failing to respect timelines set in the legislation for consideration of the Budget.

The Parliament Budget Committee was today expected to present its report on the budget estimates for the coming financial year and according to the PFMA, Parliament is expected to approve the budget by 31st May.

******

URN