The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has set up an Adhoc committee to investigate the government’s decision to merge government agencies.
The resolution was passed on Thursday after the Minister of Public Service Wilson Muruli Mukasa presented a statement on the rationalization of government entities to parliament.
MPs were divided over the ongoing process with some proposing a halt in the process, saying it was not being implemented well.
Members of the Adhoc committee include; Bukanga North MP Nathan Byanyima, Bugweri county MP Abdul Katuntu, Kazo county MP Dan Kimosho, Kwania County MP Tony Ayoo, Kumi Woman MP Apolot Christine, Ntenjeru South MP Patrick Nsanja, Charles Bakabulindi, the workers’ MP and Anna Adeke Ebaju, Soroti City.
Among says that the committee has one month to study the justification of the merger of agencies, cost-benefit analysis of the merger, effects of the merger on current employees and impact on service delivery.
The government first mooted the proposal to merge its departments and agencies in 2018. It stemmed from reports indicating that many agencies were redundant, underperforming and duplicating work, yet they are allocated chunks of money for their operations.
President Yoweri Museveni ordered a review of the public service with a view of scrapping, downsizing and merging the government agencies and authorities to avoid wastage of the country’s meagre resources.
Some of the agencies identified for the merger are the National Council for Higher Education, the National Curriculum Development Centre and the Directorate of Industrial Training.
Others are the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, which will be mainstreamed under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
While the Insurance Regulatory Authority, Uganda Retirement Benefits Authority and Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority will be merged to create specialized directorates from non-bank supervision within the Bank of Uganda.
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