Oulanyah suspends plenary until after Easter

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah has today suspended plenary sittings so that Sectoral committees can consider respective ministerial statements for the financial year 2019/2020.

According to the Public Finance Management Act,2015, government should have submitted all ministerial policy statements by March 15th. However, most of the statements were submitted this week plus alternative policy statements from the shadow cabinet.

Through the policy statements,  Parliament assesses the performance of every sector as provided for under the Budget Act (2001). These statements also contain plans for future activities.

Recognizing the delays, Oulanyah called on committees to follow the timelines set in the Act and the Rules of Procedure.

For emphasis, Oulanyah read out the timelines for the budgeting process that entails laying of ministerial policy statements, consideration within sector committees, debate on the committee reports, consideration of the sector committee reports by the budget committee and the budget committee’s report informs parliament on the Appropriation Bill.

The committees must thereby prepare reports on the various policy statements by end of this month and the house will debate them in what is called budget debate and thereafter, the budget committee will consider the committee reports, harmonize figures and then prepare and present one document for the house by 15th May.

The Appropriation Bill, once passed becomes the approved annual national budget for a given financial year.

However, the budget committee chairperson Amos Lugoloobi asked Oulanyah to ensure his directive should be written to all committee leaders to follow the timelines. He says that when most committees delay, the budget committee is also unable to beat the set deadlines.  Parliament passed the budget for financial year  2018/2019 on June 1st contrary to the deadline  of May 31st set by the Public Finance Management Act, 2015.

Oulanyah responded that his directive will be issued to all committee chairpersons on meeting budgeting process timelines.

Oulanyah thereafter adjourned plenary until April 23rd when the house will receive and debate the committee reports on the ministerial policy statements.

The Committee chairperson for Legal and parliamentary Affairs, Jacob Oboth says that within this week, they have handled ministerial policy statements from eleven entities including the Parliamentary Commission, Inspectorate of Government and will conclude with two others  by tomorrow afternoon.

He is happy with the progress of his committee , saying that they have dedicated to hold meetings from morning until even 6pm in order to beat the deadline.

The Natural Resources Committee has also been interfacing with  officials from the ministry of energy and Mineral Development and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

However, the Physical Infrastructure Committee has not yet begun considering ministerial statements from the sectors such as lands, works, transport that it oversees.

The committee chairperson, Robert Ssekitoleko says that the committee will hold meetings starting next Tuesday to consider the policy statements.

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