The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu district local government is yet to receive the 165 million Shillings COVID-19 funding money allocated to each district by the Ministry of Finance.
The ministry released the money to districts in April to intensify the campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was part of a 304 billion Shillings supplementary budget approved by parliament to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The money was meant for surveillance, coordination, the establishment of isolation centres and fuel allowance for the taskforce members among other activities. However, authorities in Gulu say that they have never received their share of the money.
Gulu district chairperson Martin Ojara Mapenduzi and spokesperson of the district taskforce says that the funds are stuck in the Integrated Finance Management System (IFMS).
Geoffrey Okaka, the District Chief Administrative Officer – CAO, says that he has been at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to seek guidance to retrieve the funds in vain.
The district health officer Yoweri Idiba says that the delay in disbursing funds has had a bearing on the feeding of quarantined suspects because it has become difficult to purchase food and essential goods for institutional quarantine centres. The delays have also led to the non payment of risk allowances and transport for selected medical personnel including Village Health Teams, allowances for task force members and drivers among others.
But Jim Mugunga, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance wondered why the matter was not pursued by the relevant authorities at its earliest time given the urgent need for the fund’s utilization in combating the virus disease.
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