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Opposition legislators task govt to increase relief fund, beneficiaries
Boda bodas are among the categories eligible to receive Covid cash. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- In a joint statement presented by the Shadow Minister for Information and Anti-corruption, Ms Joyce Bagala, yesterday, the Opposition demanded the governments give out at least Shs200,000 to vulnerable groups.
Opposition lawmakers have tasked the government to double the Covid-19 relief fund and increase the coverage of beneficiaries.
In a joint statement presented by the Shadow Minister for Information and Anti-corruption, Ms Joyce Bagala, yesterday, the Opposition demanded the governments give out at least Shs200,000 to vulnerable groups.
“The proposed Shs100, 000 is not adequate for an average household. We propose that this amount be doubled by suppressing areas such as the State House budget since the President no longer has many movements,” Ms Bagala said.
Government recently listed 16 categories of beneficiaries, including bus drivers, traffic guides wheelbarrow pushers, food vendors, boda boda riders, and street vendors.
Others are shoeshiners, slum dwellers, car washers, orphans, and bouncers.
The distribution exercise commences on July 6.
Opposition MPs said they would disclose more categories once given a chance to debate on the matter.
They demanded that the Speaker of Parliament recalls the House to convene as soon as possible so that their views are accommodated.
“We have so many ideas that will help the government improve the modes of handling this pandemic and bail out the vulnerable Ugandans,” Ms Fortunate Nantongo, the Shadow Minister for Gender, told Daily Monitor.
She added: “Failure for the Speaker to recall Parliament, we shall mobilise our people to come out in numbers and storm the streets so that we government captures their plea.”
On Tuesday, the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Betty Amongi, said town clerks and officials from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics would undertake the registration exercise of beneficiaries.
However, Mr Derrick Nyeko, the Shadow Minister in charge of Presidency and Security, said: “We want more leaders, especially the local leadership, on board because they have best knowledge about their people and understand their plight deeply.”
Following the outbreak of the second wave of the deadly virus in Uganda, President Museveni announced a raft of measures, which included imposing a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, Opposition activist Dr Kizza Besigye scoffed at the National Resistance Movement for its approach in fighting the virus, and proposed other measures such as instituting a legal framework to support the political team.
