By; Joseph Katende
Ministry of Finance has released the 4.4 trillion shillings for the first quarter of financial year 2018/19.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Keith Muhakanizi says the 4.4 trillion shillings excludes donor aid, appropriations in aid and financing for Karuma and Isimba dams, and represents 26.8 percent of the 32.7 trillion shilling budget.
Muhakanizi says a number of reforms have been made in this year’s budget which include providing money to Ugandan embassies twice a year instead of quarterly in order to ensure smooth operations.
Muhakanizi says release of funds for public universities will be on semester basis, while 100 percent release for local governments will be by the third quarter.
According to Muhakanizi, there should be no claim that money for development expenditure is being returned to the center because of late release, warning that such accounting officers will be disciplined.
Muhakanizi says the funds for the first quarter should prioritize payment of rent and utilities as well as service providers’ arrears, adding that the center will monitor payment of service providers closely.
Muhakanizi says this financial year the release of monies generated from local revenues will be commensurate with the amount of money each local government collects.
He warned accounting officers, numbering over 500, to ensure transparency in public expenditures, reasoning that if the center is transparent in the manner in which it budgets and releases funds then they have no reason not to do the same.
Julius Mukunda, the Coordinator of Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group-CSBAG, who represented civil society during the release ceremony, says there is a need for dialogue on taxation and how it is utilized.
Of the 32.7trillion shilling budget, 4.2 trillion shillings will go for wages, 6.6 trillion shillings for non-wage expenditures, 5.2 trillion shillings for development expenditures, and 7.7 trillion shillings for debt and treasury operations.
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