Opposition unveils Shs49 trillion alternative budget

The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP) has unveiled an alternative budget for Financial Year (FY) 2023/2024, outlining core areas the government should zoom in on.
“The total resource envelope for FY2023/2024 is Shs48.9 trillion. Out of this, Shs32.8 trillion is internally generated revenue,” Mr Mathias Mpuuga revealed on Friday.
Running under the theme ‘Rethinking Uganda’s economy: A human rights approach to resource allocation’, the Opposition indicated that if it was in power, emphasis would be placed on availing resources to people first, especially the marginalised.
“It involves thinking through how people’s rights are impacted by how financial resources are raised, allocated and spent,” Mr Mpuuga said, adding, “Specifically, budget decisions should reflect progressive steps taken towards fulfilling human rights.”
Clustered into three major components—civic and political rights; economic rights; as well as social and cultural rights—the Opposition budget differs starkly with the Shs50.2 trillion budget Finance minister Matia Kasaija tabled in the House on Thursday. The aforesaid proposed budget will be implemented under the theme ‘Full monetisation of the Ugandan economy through commercial agriculture, industrialisation, expanding and broadening services, and digital transformation and market access.”
“I wish Parliament can process this budget quickly so that we can start the new financial year as quickly as possible,” Mr Kasaija said on Thursday after tabling the budget accompanied by documents that included certificates of climate change compliance, certificate of financial implication, debt management strategy, gender and equity compliance.
Mr Mpuuga, however, opined on Friday that “the current planning is problematic, lacking in imagination, discriminatory and unable to fathom the needs of our people.” He received support from the shadow Finance minister.
“We are telling this government that instead of investing in war and these other things, just make diplomatic investment and uplift the common man,” Mr Muwanga Kivumbi said.
The shadow Finance minister made a case for financial discipline and frugal expenditure, not least because “no amount of economic engineering can fix this economy without a leadership with financial discipline.”
The Opposition indicated that the agriculture, industries and fisheries sectors would be allocated Shs1.499 trillion. Health (Shs2.952 trillion), education and sports (Shs460b), ICT (Shs176.7b, works and transport (Shs3.526b), energy and mineral development (Shs1.410 trillion) and the Presidency ministry (Shs825b).
Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi lauded Mr Mpuuga for delivering what he described as “a people-centred plan.” The National Unity Platform principal castigated the government for what he termed as focusing more on consolidating power at the expense of its citizens.
“No matter how brilliant our alternative policies may be, they simply cannot be implemented under a dictatorship whose main preoccupation is keeping power, and nothing else,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.
He added: “We must restore hope in the thousands of young Ugandans who line up at Entebbe airport in search of a better life outside Uganda. Unfortunately most of them end up facing more indignity and humiliation, of course with no protection from the regime.”
Speaking on behalf of the Forum for Democratic Change party, Ms Doreen Nyanjura—the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Deputy Lord Mayor—spotlighted rampant corruption that “waylays resources before they go to the intended beneficiaries.” She urged the Opposition “to leave our comfort zones” to bring about the change they so desire.