Speaker Kadaga rejects Shs7 trillion demand by government By Yasiin Mugerwa Wednesday, June 25 2014 Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga yesterday accused the government of trying to smuggle Shs7 trillion to keep it running as Parliament goes through the process of approving the 2014/15 Budget. It all started after shadow finance minister Geoffrey Ekanya and Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi complained that what the junior Finance minister, Mr Aston Kajara, tabled represented 50 per cent of the proposed 2014/15 Budget contrary to the the Budget Act which allows only 30 per cent to be advanced to the government. “The practice and the Budget Act provides for only 30 per cent and not 50 per cent in the Vote-on-Account and the expenditures should not exceed the four months until Appropriation Act comes into force,” Mr Ekanya said. The minister defended the request, saying Article 154 of the Constitution allows the President to spend without any limit, but this was turned down by the Speaker and the House that demanded an immediate withdrawal of what they called “a confused” motion. “We have spending pressures. We have to front-load the money because we have to provide for thermal power and compensation for refinery land which was not covered. We also have to cater for foot and mouth disease which is an urgent matter,” Mr Kajara said. “We cannot wait for the Budget to be approved in order to intervene in these matters, we have classified expenditures under State House, project activities … We also have the EA single tourist visa and passports,” the minister added. Allocation The government wanted Shs2.2 trillion under development spending, Shs1.9 trillion for recurrent and an additional Shs2.5 trillion for statutory spending. Bugweri MP and shadow attorney general Abdu Katuntu said authorising the spending of more than Shs7 trillion (half of the national Budget), without scrutiny would be risking too much. The Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, intervened, saying: “I would suggest that we stand over this matter. We will present it tomorrow with clear figures and clear presentation so that the confusion does not cloud the clarity of the matter.” [email protected]
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 23:04:34 +0000
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