Prime
Museveni's voice required to end wasteful expenditure
President Museveni. PHOTO/ PPU
What you need to know:
- The issue: Wasteful expenditure.
- Our view: Parliament has not listened to the voices of the masses. This, therefore, calls for the intervention of the person for whom we are providing; he does not need the provisions.
- Only his voice can help end such wasteful expenditure.
On Thursday, a section of Opposition Members of Parliament raised issues on items that have been provided for under the Shs239b that has been provided for State House in the proposed budget for the Financial Year 2023/2024.
Some of the items that were raised in a minority report that was presented by the Shadow Minister of Finance, Mr Muwanga Kivumbi, and Kira Municipality MP, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, in response to the majority report that was presented on the floor of Parliament by the chairperson of the Budget Committee, Mr Patrick Isiaigi Opolot, include Shs350m for the purchase of clothes, beddings, and footwear; Shs600m for furniture and; Shs184m for veterinary services.
Parliament chose not to revisit those allocations when it passed the Budget.
This came in a month in which a committee of Parliament has just recommended the reinstatement of the Shs30b that has been cut off the State House’s budget to cater for the increasing demand for donations.
Parliament has also recommended, among others, the provision of Shs4.23b for the purchase of medals; Shs9.1b for investiture ceremonies and patriotism activities; Shs3.2b to presidential advisors’ offices and allowances; Shs5.1b for cars of new presidential advisors and; Shs1.3b for continuous capacity building for Cabinet ministers.
Public servants and legislators will for obvious reasons not touch what is being allocated to State House and the Office of the President, but the President himself can recommend that they stop providing him, or his office and official residences, with certain luxuries until the economic situation is better.
Making such provisions is really a kick in the teeth for many a public servant who government is calling on to be patient and wait until 2025 when the oil revenue has started trickling in before their salaries can be enhanced.
Many of the people who are being urged to be patient for two years are buckling under the weight of a very high cost of living. Most of them can hardly put a decent meal on the table or meet the costs of education, healthcare, utilities and rent. It must, therefore, hurt that provisions are being made for a makeover of the President’s wardrobe when so many people are really struggling.
Parliament has not listened to the voices of the masses. This, therefore, calls for the intervention of the person for whom we are providing; he does not need the provisions. Only his voice can help end such wasteful expenditure.
