Gulu city yet to spend Covid-19 supplementary budget

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu city is yet to utilize the 201.2 million shillings Covid-19 supplementary budget.

The budget was approved on July 14 by councilors. According to the breakdown, 51.2 million shillings was allocated to the 128 village Covid-19 taskforces, 90 million shillings for travels, surveillance and data collection.

Other allocations included 22.5 million shillings for vehicle maintenance and 37.5 million shillings allowances for the city Covid-19 taskforce members. However to date, the money remains unspent.

Moses Otimong, the Gulu city clerk says the money remains unspent to date since the City Council had not yet developed a work plan. He also says that the Finance Ministry has not yet given the responsible accountant handling the money the approved rights.

Denis Odongpiny, the Gulu Resident City Commissioner who doubles as the chairman of Gulu City Covid-19 taskforce says his office is overwhelmed with complaints from village chairpersons about the delay in the release of the money for their taskforce activities.

According to Odongpiny, the village chairpersons and the Village Health Teams are threatening to lay down their tools on the fight against Covid-19.

Andrew Ogwetta Otto, the city councilor for Pece-Laroo Division North says due to lack of funding, a lot of village Covid-19 taskforces have been demoralized. He appealed to the city clerk to speed up the process of having the disbursement spent.

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