The Auditor General John Muwanga in his latest report to parliament for the financial year ended June 30, 2018 reveals some gaps in government planning and budgeting which it says affect the timeliness, accuracy and usefulness of plans by government.

According to the report, the shortcomings include; sector delays to submit plans, lack of service delivery standards in all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and local governments (LGs), delay in issuing of circular for the National Development Plan III (NDP III) by the National Planning Authority (NPA), failure by NPA to undertake mid-term review assessment of the NPD II, failure by 40 entities to submit strategic plans and failure by 54 percent of MDAs in attaining satisfactory score on Certificate of Compliance (CoC).

The report says: “As a result most sector plans and annual budgets are not aligned with the NDP and assessing service delivery and level of implementation of the NDP is difficult without service delivery standards and regular reviews.”

On revenue mobilisation, the report says out of Shs28.2 trillion government had set out to receive in form of domestic, development partner funding, treasury Instruments and Appropriation in Aid (AIA) only Shs26.6 trillion (94.3 per cent) was received leading to a shortfall of Shs1.6 trillion. “During the year, government budgeted to spend a total of Shs30.8 trillion, through MDAs, LGs, Referral Hospitals, Missions and embassies. Only Shs26.1 trillion was released representing a performance of 85 per cent. This affects implementation of planned activities,” it says.

Pension and Gratuity

By close of the financial year, MDAs and LGs had not paid out Shs65.6 billion in pension and gratuity arrears despite the fact that these funds had been released.

Funds were thus returned to the UCF. The implication is that either the pensioners are non-existent or MDAs/LGs are denying/delaying beneficiaries their benefits.

Management of Public Debt

The report notes that Uganda’s debt has increased by 22 per cent from Shs33.99 trillion as at June 30, 2017 to Shs41.51 trillion as June 30 2018. Although Uganda’s debt to GDP ratio of 41 per cent is still below the IMF risky threshold of 50 per cent and compares well with other East African countries, the report says.

However, the report says it is unfavourable when debt payment is compared to national revenue collected which is the highest in the region at 54 per cent. According to the report, 50 per cent of the loans sampled totalling Shs3.98 trillion will expire in 2020. “If government is to service the loans as projected in the next financial years (2018/2019 and 2019/2020), it would require more than 65 per cent of the total revenue collections which is over and above the historical sustainability levels of 40,” the report says.

Interest payments

According to the report, interest payments on both domestic and external loans during the year amounted to Shs2.34 trillion, which is 17 per cent of total revenue collections, above the limit set in Public Debt management Framework 2013 of 15 per cent. “This has been on the rise for the last four years,” it says.

The auditor General in the report adds that although the absorption of external debt has improved compared to last financial year, there were cases of low absorption. “I noted some loans with absorption levels as low as 10 below and below. An example is the USMID project with over Shs95 billion (95 per cent) still on the various accounts of Municipal Councils by close of year, despite various incomplete and abandoned works due to non-payment to Contractors. Another project, Mbarara-Nkenda and

Tororo-Lira transmission line has delayed for almost eight years resulting into cancellation of the loan by the funder with an undisbursed loan amount of US$ 6.5 million,” he said.

He notes that significant value loans have stringent conditions which could have adverse effects on Uganda’s ability to sustain its debt. These conditions, he says, include; waiver of sovereign immunity by government over all its properties and itself from enforcement of any form of judgement, adoption of foreign laws in any proceedings to enforce agreements, requiring government to pay all legal fees and insurance premiums on behalf of the creditor.

Youth Livelihood Program

The report notes that whereas Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development had budgeted for a total amount of Shs231.2 billion for the F/Y 2013/2014 to F/Y 2017/2018, only Shs161.1 billion (69.7 per cent) was released to the program resulting in a shortfall of Shs70.1 billion (30.3 per cent). As a result only 15,979 (67 per cent) of the proposed 23,850 projects were funded. This affected the number of youths who had been targeted by the program as it only benefited 195,644 out of 286,200 youths, (68 per cent) by June 30, 2018.

Low recovery of disbursed funds

According to the report, from a total amount of Shs38.8 billion that was disbursed to 5,505 youth groups in the financial years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, on average, only 26.7 per cent was recovered from the youth countrywide. “There is high probability that the balance of almost Shs28.4 billion may never be recovered as almost 64 per cent of the sampled projects, consisting of 71 per cent value of loans, were non-existent. Another 25 per cent had reportedly embezzled or diverted the funds, the report says.

However, the report says that in the financial years 2015/16 to 2017/18, out of a total amount of Shs83.3 billion disbursed to 10,444 Youth Groups, there was a noted improvement of recoveries ranging from 24 per cent in 2015/16 to 60 per cent in 2017/18 which is still below satisfactory performance.

Out of the total amount of the Shs18.1 billion recovered from the youth groups at the time of audit, Shs16.1 billion (90 per cent) had been transferred to the Revolving Fund in Bank of Uganda, according to the guidelines. Besides, only Shs8 billion had been revolved to other Youth Groups. However, the reports says the delay in revolving funds to other eligible groups undermines the ultimate goal of the program.

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President Yoweri Museveni’s visit to Zimbabwe should compel relevant ministries of the two governments to schedule an inaugural session of the joint permanent commission to explore specific areas of cooperation, President Mnangagwa has said.

Speaking at a dinner hosted in honour of Museveni at State House in Harare last night, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe stands ready to escalate economic cooperation guided by the two countries’ General Agreement on Economic, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, as well as the current realities of the two countries and the continent at large.

Mnangagwa said the visit was special as it gave both countries an opportunity to reignite the Pan African spirit engrained in the two nations.

“Since the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 1980, Zimbabwe and Uganda have enjoyed cordial relations at the political level. Your visit affords us an opportunity to share our socio-economic and political experiences, to improve the quality of life of our people,” he said.

“However, we must remain cognisant of the need to protect and defend our hard-won independence and economically empower our people, especially the youth and women.”

The President said his Government had embarked on economic and political reforms to improve the country’s economy.

“I am aware, Your Excellency, that you have been a constant advocate for Africa’s economic emancipation, industrialisation and value addition through the exploitation of the continents resource.”

Museveni said he was pleased to be in Zimbabwe.

“Whenever I come to Southern Africa, I am pleased because I see our people who come from the Great Lakes region and spread over Southern Africa. I see you as the Diaspora of the Great Lakes.

“The only problem is, you have forgotten some of the languages. When I asked (former president) Mugabe when he came to Uganda what his name meant, he said it was just a name, but I told him it means ‘to give’,” said Museveni drawing laughter from the guests.

He said this linguistic evidence shows the oneness of African people.

“‘Kuvona’ means to see, but now it means to find something that is missing. Therefore, when I hear people called reactionaries I feel pity for them because Africans are similar or linked. We are one. We have long standing relations with freedom fighters from Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa. I attended the independence of Zimbabwe as a Minister,” he said.

Mnangagwa said both countries share common views on political and security issues affecting their regions and the continent.

“At continental level, Zimbabwe supports the decision taken by African Union to ensure financial independence, self-sufficiency and more responsive mechanisms to emerging security and political threats.”

Museveni said both countries must emphasise on economic cooperation to enable self sustanance.

“The market is a stimulant for production. The more we produce, the more prosperous we become.

“Yes some of our products are similar, but we have other products which are not similar. A joint commission must sit and identify the products we can share,” he said.

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Government has said it is in preparations to mark this year’s Occupational Safety and Health at Work Day, and the International Labour Day.

“All preparations are in high gear at both national and district level, and we look forward to hosting you all as we celebrate the workers,” said Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, the minister of state for youth and children as she addressed journalists on Friday at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.

The national celebrations of Occupational Safety and Health will be held on April 29, 2019 at Kampala Capital City Authority grounds at Lugogo in Nakawa Division.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is commemorated as an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus attention on emerging occupational safety and health trends; magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities and on how to make our workplaces safe and healthy. This year’s national theme is “Safety, health and the future of work: Combating vulnerability of the Youth”.

The theme, according to minister Nakiwala, is embedded in this year’s campaign which highlights the critical importance of addressing the challenges the young workers face.

This year’s campaign is also aimed at accelerating action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG target No. 8.8) of safe and secure working environments for all workers by 2030.

The theme also calls for strategies aimed at improving safety and health at work through promotion of decent youth employment and building a culture that fronts Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

Meanwhile, all roads will lead to Patongo Akwee Primary School Playground in Patongo Town Council in Agago District where the national ceremony for the International Labour Day will be held on May 1, 2019.

The Day is commemorated to honour the contribution workers make towards development across the globe. The day is also used to create national and international awareness on the importance of promoting and protecting the rights of workers. Each year’s celebrations are designed to fit a selected theme and this year’s theme is “promoting employment through enhanced public infrastructure development”.

“The theme draws from the fact that public investment in infrastructure like rail, roads, power dams and power transmission, oil refinery, apart from creating jobs on their own, will eventually continue to bring down the cost of doing business, which will in turn attract private investment and create more jobs for the people of Uganda. It’s undisputable that infrastructure development has a multiplier effect on investment and job creation,” the minister said.

The International Labour Day 2019 theme relates to the challenges that the Country has been experiencing in provision of decent employment opportunities and job creation.

“I wish all the workers of Uganda happy and peaceful celebrations of the Occupational Safety and Health at Work Day, and the International Labour Day,” the minister said.

The National Housing Survey 2016/17 indicates that 21 percent (about 7.77 million) of the entire population are youth. The National Labour Force Survey report 2016/17 estimates that 57.3 percent (5.7 million) of a total labour force are youth. Pertaining to safety and health performance, ILO records indicate that working youth suffer up to a 40 percent higher rate of non-fatal occupational injuries than adult workers older than 25 years.

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The Ruparelia Group which runs a multitude of companies in Uganda continues to flourish in Uganda even after the closure of Crane Bank Limited in 2016.
The Group does business in real estate, hospitality, horticulture, labour export and education among others.

In real estate business include; Speke Apartments on Wampewo Avenue, Kingdom Kampala Mall in Naksasero, Bukoto Heights Apartment and Tagore Apartments.
In hospitality, the Group boasts of Munyonyo Country Resort, Speke Hotel, Kabira Country Club, among others.

In education the Group runs the elite Kampala Parents School, Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) and Victoria University, all located within the boundaries of Kampala Capital City Authority. Recently Kampala Parents School offered a scholarship to Fresh Kid, a sensational young musician while Victoria University has also earmarked scholarships for best performers in Miss Curvey contest.

In horticulture, the Group’s companies-Rosebud Limited and Premier Roses Ltd. Are major exporters of natural flower products to Europe and elsewhere. The two companies in October 2017 received Free Zone licenses from Uganda Free Zones Authority to grow more flowers in Namulanda Parish, Ssisa Sub-county, Wakiso District. The companies have also targeted Masaka and Kulkungu districts for flower growing.

The growth of the companies means more jobs for Ugandans since the companies curently employs some of them on top of paying taxes to government, notwithstanding giving back to community throush the corporate social responsibility programme.

Photos the Rupaleria Group's New Speke Apartments In Kitintale

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