Funding of new budget will squeeze Ugandans – FDC 

“The big question is, where [will] we get the money from? We believe that the Shs20 trillion added to our national budget is abnormal and Ugandans should get ready to be squeezed to zero distance,” he said.

Addressing journalists yesterday at party headquarters in Najjanankumbi in Kampala, Mr Muyombya suggested that some items such as the President’s office budget and vehicle maintenance, among others, should be dropped to have a reasonable budget that the government can be able to fund.

“You mean they [government officials] cannot maintain their cars? They get a salary, they have fuel...I have also looked at the Shs160 billion that goes to the President’s office just to be given as he is moving across the country. For what?” Mr Muyombya wondered.

While presenting the budget on June 13, Mr Matia Kasaija said the government projects to generate Shs31.9 trillion in domestic revenue, of which Shs29.3 trillion will be tax revenue and Shs2.6 trillion will be non-tax revenue.

The new financial year starts on July 1 and will introduce a regime of new taxes on fuel and internet, among others, to enable Uganda Revenue Authority raise more than Shs32 trillion.

He also expressed concern about the country’s public debt that is  currently more than Shs90 trillion .  

“We believe that the budget presented on Thursday last week is putting our economy on three-wheel drive. Why? By the end of last year, the public debt was about Shs93.3 trillion. But Mr Kasaija has already projected to us that by the end of this month, we shall be having Shs97.6 trillion [in] public debt,” Mr Muyombya said.

He explained that the government has increased taxes, to the dismay of Ugandans who  complain about lack of drugs in public health facilities, pot-holed roads, among others.

Mr Muyombya also said the party does not  tolerate corruption, in reponse to a list, which includes MPs who subscribe to FDC, circulating on social media of individuals the Criminal Investigations Directorate has summoned over alleged  tampering with the national budget.

He explained that if investigations are done and they find out that their members engaged in corruption, they will be summoned to a disciplinary committee.

“We are the next government the Ugandans are waiting for. Why should we practice corruption?” Mr Muyombya said.

Mr Marlon Agaba, the Executive Director of Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda,  said the recent read budget is above what Uganda can afford.

“As a country, we don’t have the capacity to support the big budget and also when you look at the previous years, even when we have had budgets at Shs52 trillion we haven’t been able to fund the entire budget,” he said.