The Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, has called on the government to prioritize budget discipline to enhance effective service delivery across the country.
While presenting the opposition’s alternative budget for the 2025/26 financial year at Parliament under the theme “Combating Corruption: The Effective Way to Proper Service Delivery,” Ssenyonyi criticized the government’s financial management practices.
The Ministry of Finance recently presented budget estimates for the 2025/26 financial year, totaling Shs71.9 trillion, an increase from the previous Shs57.4 trillion.
The government claims this rise aligns with priorities outlined in the National Development Plan IV.
However, Ssenyonyi stressed the need for more effective and equitable measures to improve budget performance.
He criticized the frequent use of supplementary budgets, which he argues have contributed significantly to Uganda’s growing debt burden.
He also raised concerns about corruption, unutilized loan commitments, wasteful expenditures, and excessive classified spending.
Additionally, Ssenyonyi called for fair and efficient tax policies, highlighting how Uganda’s current tax system disproportionately burdens struggling businesses while a privileged few especially those in government allegedly evade taxes.
He emphasized the need for a fairer tax regime to ensure that all Ugandans contribute equitably.
By Francis Lubega
31st Mar, 2025
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