The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) calls for the repurposing of 2.08 trillion shillings that has been allocated to unproductive expenditure in the coming financial year 2025/2026.

Among other items reflected in the budget framework paper for the coming financial year regarded as unproductive expenditure by CSBAG include; allocation of 2 billion shillings to postage and courier, 1 billion shillings to beddings, clothing, footwear and related services, 12 billion shillings for recruitment expenses, 53 billion shillings for travels abroad, books, 65 billion shillings for books, periodicals and newspapers, 136 billion shillings for welfare and entertainment among others.

This has been disclosed by the Executive Director CSBAG, Julius Mukunda during the Civil Society Organizations Pre-Budget Dialogue for the financial year 2025/2026 held under the theme; “Making the Budget Work for the People – Prioritizing Expenditure for Inclusive Growth”.

Mukunda says there is un-readiness by the Government to address the challenge of domestic arrears in the coming budget noting that a sum of 200 billion shillings earmarked for domestic arrears is nothing to the total sum of 3.81 trillion shillings as of December 2024 having risen from 8.05 trillion shillings in the year 2022.

He explains that once the Government fails to increase funds to settle domestic arrears it means it will take Uganda 54 years to clear the current stock of domestic arrears.

By Olivia Nabaggala

13 February 2025

END