Kitgum district budget up by one percent

Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Kitgum District Local Government has increased its 2021/2022 Financial year budget by 1.1 percent, up from the previous 2020/2021 Financial year budget.

The District Council on Monday approved a draft budget of 36.3 billion Shillings, an increment of shillings 2.9 billion from shillings 33.3 Billion in 2020/2021 financial year.

The draft budget was presented in Council by Emmanuel Lapyem, Kitgum District LCV Vice Chairperson also the leader of Government Business.

According to the draft budget, Education and sports took the lion share of shillings 13.2 billion followed by health and environment at shillings 7 billion, administration at 4.7 billion and production and marketing at shillings 4.5 billion.

Trade Industry and Local Economic Development (TILED) and Internal audit received the least budget each with shillings 75.5 million and shillings 34.3 million respectively.

Also presented by Lapyem were the expected Local revenue estimates of shillings 246.4 million, indicating an increase of 1 percent from of the budgeted overall expected revenue for higher local government only.

Lapyem however in his presentation highlighted the challenges the district is likely to face as a result of the funding gap of shillings 190.1 million from the Central government against the required estimate of 425.3 million shillings.

He notes that the funding gap will affect the facilitation of political leaders at all levels within the district and funding of newly created lower local government sub-counties and town councils.

Lapyem says despite approval of the draft budget, the district hasn’t yet received the budget call circular for FY 2021/2022 which they anticipate is likely to cause changes in the budget.

Outgoing Kitgum District Chairperson Jackson Omona notes that the 2021/2022 financial year budget is premised on the District Development Plan-DDP3.

He says the budget gives priorities on education which has over the years performed poorly, health, production, water, and sanitation.

Omona who made his last address in the 10th council also highlighted the achievement the council has made in the period between 2016 to 2020 in the areas of health, education, and household income.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, Kitgum District Council approved a budget of shillings 33.3 billion approved in.

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