The European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Attilio Pacifici, has on Monday written to Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, informing him of the release of Shs84 billion (EUR 20 million) to the Treasury for the Fiscal Year 2018/19 under the Financing Agreement for Justice and Accountability Reform, a sector budget support programme for a total value of EUR 66 million.
The programme aims to improve the governance of public funds and the management of taxpayers’ money for improved service delivery. It is implemented through the Justice, Law and Order and Accountability sectors and is expected to enhance their synergies.
According to the EU press release, the disbursement of the funds followed an extensive dialogue between the Government of Uganda and the EU on the progress of policy reforms in the two concerned sectors. An important milestone was reached with Minister Kasaija’s announcement on 21 February 2019 that Uganda will join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). “The EU continues to work with the Government of Uganda to support progress towards the objectives of the National Development Programme II (NDP II),” reads part of the press release.
The Justice and Accountability Reform (JAR) programme is aligned in particular with the fourth objective of the NDP II in its quest for effective and efficient service delivery. JAR is composed of sector budget support of EUR 60 million and complementary measures of EUR 6 million, mostly consisting of technical assistance to the line ministries and agencies.
The five areas in which JAR seeks to achieve results are domestic revenue mobilisation and management for sustainable development, strategic planning and budgeting for enhanced service delivery, public investment management, service delivery in the Justice, Law and Order sector (JLOS) and institutional capacity to reduce public sector corruption.
JAR reinforces the collaboration between the accountability sector and JLOS for more effective anti-corruption measures. It links the different parts of the accountability chain, such as transparency, audit, investigations, sanctions, and prosecution. Other expected key outcomes are a reduction in case backlog and an increased automation of courts in the judiciary. JAR also supports Uganda’s preparations for membership in the EITI.
The programme will increase competition in public procurement, enhance the quality of public investment projects and improve access to legal services. Other tangible outcomes will be a lower number of un-sentenced detainees and a reduced backlog in the reporting on international human rights treaties Uganda has signed up to.
Ambassador Pacifici congratulated the Government of Uganda, stating: “The European Union is delighted that the Government of Uganda has met the ambitious pre-conditions for the transfer of these funds, including a substantial increase in the budgets of the JLOS and Accountability Sector and the decision to join EITI. We are looking forward to continued progress in the two sectors and to working with the Government towards meeting the conditions for the next payment”.
