MPs oppose plan by ministry of finance to hijack road fund mandate

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament on the physical committee have rejected a move by the Ministry of Finance to directly appropriate road maintenance funds to implementing agencies.

This is after the minister for finance, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury failed to appear on Thursday before the committee to explain why the ministry has decided to take over the mandate of the Uganda Road Fund without amending the Uganda Road Fund Act, 2018.

On Wednesday, the committee invited the finance officials to appear on Thursday after Uganda Road Fund Executive Director, Eng. Michael Odongo tabled documents to back his claim that the ministry of finance is trying to hijack the mandate of the Fund.

Odong told MPs that the move will affect implementation and monitoring of road maintenance plans and works, signing performance agreements with designated agencies, enforcing adherence to the performance agreements through monitoring, technical and financial reviews.

However, none of the officials appeared, instead, the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Social Services, Laban Mbulamuko.

Mbulamuko told the committee that he had been delegated to represent the permanent secretary who was at the time attending a meeting with the Prime Minister.

Mbulamuko was however chased from the committee meeting after strong resistance from Bunyole West MP, James Waluswaka. They argued that he is incapable to respond to the matter.

The committee chairperson Robert Ssekitoleko said that the action of the finance ministry will contravene the Uganda Road Fund Act which empowers the Road Fund to finance road maintenance of public roads and related activities and to allocate funds to agencies and local governments.

Ssekitoleko added that the committee will recommend that ministry of finance must re-allocate 542 billion shillings to the Uganda Road Fund for the 2019/2020 financial year.

He also said that the committee will also recommend that the Ministry of Finance tables amendments of the URF Act so that road user fees are sent to Uganda Road Fund and not the Consolidated Fund.

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