Finance State Minister David Bahati has tabled a Shs910b supplementary expenditure budget before Parliament, including among others a Shs60b request to procure CCTV cameras to help the police track criminals.
The move comes in the wake of several murders across the country especially in the capital Kampala, which prompted President Museveni to direct that the spy cameras be installed at all junctions in the city.
But in Parliament yesterday, Butambala DP MP Muhammad Kivumbi tasked minister Bahati to disclose the source of the funds for the supplementary budget.
“The law requires that they show us the source of funding before they proceed,” he said fearing that the ministry might seek to cut the money meant for other budgeted votes.
In response Minister Bahati said government intends to obtain the money through domestic borrowing, prompting the MPs to refer him to the Committee on National Economy for clearance as whether the domestic loan request will be approved.
According to Bahati, already Shs41b of the supplementary budget has been spent but is now before parliament for retrospective approval as provided in Section 25(1) of the Public Finance Management Act which allows the central government to spend up to 3 per cent of the total approved budget, and table a request for retrospective approval within four months.
Bahati also noted that the balance of Shs481b is above the 3 percent provision and therefore requires prior approval by Parliament.
“The Ministry appears to have surpassed the 3 per cent request and this needs prior approval by Parliament,” queried Amos Lugoloobi, the Committee Chairperson.
Meanwhile, Bahati broke down how the supplementary request will be utilized, saying part of the money will finance a Shs49b wage shortfall in ministries, andShs20b will purchase of shares in Atiak Sugar Factory.
Other expenditures are: Shs10b to Uganda Prisons Service for food; Shs250m for recruitment and validation of health workers and Shs190b for the Ministry of Water and Environment’s counterpart funding of farm income enhancement and forestry conservation.
The Ministry of Trade needs Shs9.2b to settle outstanding Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ahead of its May summit in Bujumbura, while Shs15.38b is to cater for counterpart funding to the grants for the elderly under Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The NAADS Secretariat also needs Shs80b to cater for the procurement of hoes, and Shs1b is to finance the procurement of an online registration system for the Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
The High Commission in Kigali requires Shs377m to cater for rent and mission staff salaries.
The minister said the Finance Ministry itself requires Shs7.7b for operations and investment promotion.
Some will go to compensations in the lands ministry and wages in other ministries.
