The move by the government to cut the parliament’s budget comes at a time when Parliament is in the spotlight over corruption and wasteful expenditures, although, it is not clear if the government’s decision was informed by findings from these social media allegations under the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition.
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Uganda’s Parliament has for weeks been the focus of public attention, championed by the social media campaign under the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition.
Key concerns highlighted in the campaign include allegations of corruption, graft, unclear expenditure, nepotism, lack of transparency, and diversion of funds under the leadership of Speaker Anitah Among.
Other issues of concern involve the funds designated for the Speaker’s international trips, parliamentary engagements nationwide, recruitment of staff, and misuse of office, among others.
Additionally, it is unclear if the government’s move to slash the budget of Parliament by half is aimed at curbing wasteful expenditures to raise more resources to support the struggling economy, tackle the escalating public debt crisis, and reduce government expenditure.
The Finance Ministry’s Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Treasury, Ramadan Ggoobi, says Parliament has deviated from the government’s fiscal consolidation measures, such as the suspension of travel abroad and the purchase of new cars, among others.
“I told you here on TV that we are not buying cars. A week later, Parliament was parading the cars of former Speakers. I told Parliament that it is a statutory institution, and I respect it so much. They said they would never do that again,” said PS Ggoobi while appearing on TV on Thursday.
The Speaker, Anitah Among, has protested the move by the Ministry of Finance to reduce Parliament’s budget by 50%, with MPs describing the decision as humiliating and demeaning to the Legislature.
“With our deduction of 50%, shall we be paid our salary? You even have the courtesy to put it in bold on a statutory vote that Parliament shouldn’t get money,” said Among.
Among who was presiding over the House on Thursday was the concern raised by Bukanga North lawmaker Nathan Byanyima, who wondered what had befallen the Ministry of Finance.
Byanyima said that in the previous years, the occupants of the office of Secretary to Treasury were people of high caliber and wondered why Ramadan Ggoobi, the current Secretary to Treasury, would announce a 50% budget cut to Parliament, and also make statements that Parliament has no powers to alter budgets submitted by the Ministry of Finance.
“I have seen a paper that says the parliamentary budget will be cut by 50%. Where does such a person (Ggoobi) get power? There is a rule that we must respect each other and treat other people the way we want to be treated. We have been demeaned to nothing. But when the Secretary to the Treasury goes to a Committee of Parliament and says that we have no role to play in the budget and appropriation, it defeats my understanding. Has this country changed? I don’t see why we are wasting our time going into the budget; it doesn’t make sense,” said Byanyima.
Tororo District Woman MP, Sarah Opendi, also claimed that while appearing on NBS TV on Thursday, Ggoobi alluded to the same sentiments, saying that Parliament has no power to budget and that this is an executive function.
“He said Parliament has no powers to move money from one vote to another because budgeting for this country isn’t our responsibility. It is the executive that knows the priorities of this country. So, what is our role as Parliament? And the challenge we have in this country is picking people who haven’t grown in public service and placing them in such sensitive positions because a Secretary to Treasury used to rise from the bottom, and when you pick someone from somewhere, they don’t respect leaders,” said Opendi.
However, the Minister of Finance in charge of General Duties, Henry Musasizi, asked Parliament to disregard statements made by Ggoobi about Parliament not having powers of appropriation, saying that such statements are not representative of the Ministry of Finance.
“To the best of my knowledge and experience, appropriation powers rest with Parliament. If the Secretary to Treasury expressed his views and opinions, I am not privy to what the Secretary to Treasury said, but I know the Secretary to Treasury doesn’t have a chance to speak on this microphone. I would like to invite colleagues to disregard what the Secretary to the Treasury said; we should always take what we say as the Ministry of Finance on this microphone. If whatever he said, wherever he said it, offended the Committee of Parliament or Parliament in general, I would like to apologize on his behalf,” said Musasizi.
