The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
It was a confrontational scene in parliament as MPs reacted angrily to officials from Ministry of Finance who refused to incorporate proposals and recommendations made by MPs on the budgeting process.
Members of the Budget Committee led by Chairman Amos Lugoloobi lashed out at the officials who included Minister of State for Finance David Bahati and Director of Budget Kenneth Mugambe. Both the Budget Act and the Public Finance Management Act give Parliament powers to reallocate and appropriate budget resources to different entities.
Some of the adjustments Parliament had made include; allocating an extra Sh36bn to Rural Electrification Agency to avail electricity to rural areas, 10bn to be vailed to Uganda Investment Authority to acquire land, an extra Shs50bn to be given to Uganda Development Bank, Shs25bn for unemployed youths. The ministry however adopted none. The incident set back the budgeting process by weeks.
