The Secretary to Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, clashed with MPs on the Public Accounts Committee accusing them of using harsh words to undermine his efforts in improving the Government’s budgeting process.
This followed remarks by Muwanga Kivumbi (Butambala County) who noted that although Ggoobi promised to clean up the budget indiscipline within Government, the challenges have worsened despite even when he promised to clean up the mess in Government when he was named the Secretary to Treasury.
The exchange was prompted by the findings by the Auditor General who noted that although Parliament had initially passed a budget worth Shs52Trn, Government in the same Financial Year 2023/24 requested for a supplementary worth Shs8Trn and despite this, the Ministry of Finance was only able to warrant funds to a tune of Shs50Trn, a trend MPs said has been normalised in Government.
“I attended the first briefing before the Budget Committee where you had been named Secretary to Treasury, if we look back at your submission; I was very inspired that we now have a new day. But here you are, you have been there for four years, it is getting worse. In the eyes of Ugandans, this is gross budget indiscipline. It isn’t good Parliamentary language, but this is gross budget indiscipline on the side of Government,” noted Kivumbi.
However, Ggoobi interjected Muwanga’s submission noting, “You are using very strong words and I would like to interject, it isn’t really acceptable to use that language. We sit every single day to make the budget better and it is getting better, so for you to sit there and you start using those platitudes isn’t acceptable.”
He instead highlighted measures put in place to strengthen public finance management reforms, domestic revenue mobilisation strategy, rationalisation of Gov’t Agencies and expenditure reform (RAPEX) to streamline efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of services as well as reforms in public procurement to improve efficiency, effectiveness and fight against corruption.
The PSST also briefed the Committee on progress in rolling out the human capital management system and implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM).
