MP opposes Shs286 billion supplementary budget

Parliament

The Member of Parliament for Rubanda West, Mr Henry Banyenzaki, is lobbying fellow legislators to block the approval of the Shs286 billion supplementary budget being requested by the government.
According to Mr Banyenzaki, the budget is more of a “consumptive budget” that does not address key concerns of the tax payer.

Addressing journalists at Parliament yesterday, Mr Banyenzaki, who is a member of the parliamentary Budget Committee that scrutinises the National Budget, said he is lobbying other MPs not to support the budget, saying it is not a pro-people budget.

Minority report
He said if his colleagues on the Budget Committee approve the money, he will write a minority report to be presented in Parliament alongside the committee’s recommendations to make his position clear. “I call upon Parliament to reject the supplementary budget because it does not address the concerns of the people. Just look at the additional budget the Defence Ministry is seeking. For what?
There are no more wars to be fought in northern Uganda why that huge amount?,” he asked. The Defence Ministry topped a list of 18 ministries and government agencies asking for Shs285 billion in supplementary budget which now increases this financial year’s budget passed seven months ago to over Shs7.3 trillion.

Much as the war in northern Uganda is no more, the Defence Ministry is now requesting for an extra Shs71.9 billion for continuing operation Lightning Thunder and clearing unspecified domestic arrears. “All the roads especially in rural areas are impassable and there is no money that has been earmarked for infrastructure which is one of the key critical areas that need to be looked into urgently,” Mr Banyenzaki said.

He added: “Why are we remitting more money for missions abroad. We don’t have to have ambassadors in every country. Most of the NRM losers were posted into these embassies yet our hospitals don’t have drugs and the infant and maternal mortality rates are high. Why are we not putting money into these critical sectors,” he wondered. He criticised the additional budget especially for the army, saying it was a wasteful expenditure.