The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Sironko, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sironko district local government has returned 100 million Shillings of unspent Road fund money to the Consolidated Fund due to the failure of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
The IFMS is an automated budgeting and accounting system used by government entities to initiate, spend and monitor their budgets, process payments, and manage and report on their financial activities. It is part of the broader Public Finance Management (PFM) reforms intended to improve budget preparation, accounting, reporting and auditing processes.
The Public Finance Management Act 2015 section 17 (2) stipulates that a local government that does not spend money that was appropriated to a particular vote for the financial year shall at the close of the financial year, return the money to the Consolidated Fund.
Lydia Gimono, the LCV Vice Chairperson of Sironko district while addressing councillors on Wednesday during a budget conference said that the money was part of 1 billion shillings allocated to each district by the Central government for road rehabilitation. She adds that after releasing the money, the government delayed giving local governments guidelines on how to use the money.
She explained further that by the time the government released the guidelines, it was the rainy season making it difficult to carry out road works.
Herbert Musika, a councillor representing Nalusala Sub County also doubling as Sectary for social services urged the technical leaders not to allow money to go back to the National Treasury again in the next financial year.
He urged the central government to suspend the IFMIS system of wiring money to local governments.
Charles Nasusi, the Assistant Sironko District Engineer said that by the time the system accepted to normalize, money had already been transferred to the national treasury.
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