Parliament picks interest in Bank of Uganda Golden Jubilee pens
Bank of Uganda (BOU) has been asked to produce procurement details related to all items that were bought for its golden jubilee celebrations.
The demand was made by MPs on the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) during a meeting with Central Bank officials who were led by the Deputy Governor, Dr Louis Kasekende on Wednesday.
The BOU team was responding to queries raised by the Auditor General in the 2013/2014 audit report.
Away from the financial year under review, COSASE chairman, Mr Abdu Katuntu made reference to media reports indicating that the bank flouted procurement laws when it spent Shs125 million to buy 350 pens in the 2016/2017 financial year. The pens were supplied by Aristoc Booklex Limited.
The purchase was reportedly initiated by the Central Bank's Communications Department for distribution to distinguished guests during the Golden Jubilee Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture on August 2 and subsequent activities on August 3, 2016.
Mr Katuntu said the committee would review the golden jubilee celebrations in totality especially issues concerning procurement contracts and documents.
"If there is a problem we have to sort it out, if there is no problem, we will be happy to say there was no problem. The issue raised by the media is bad procurement," Mr Katuntu said.
Efforts by the Dr Kasekende to notify Mr Katuntu that BOU at 50 celebrations relate to the 2016/ 2017 financial year which is not yet covered by the Auditor General, were futile.
Mr Katuntu argued that it is even relevant to scrutinise the matter now since MPs have been carrying out post-mortems of AG’s reports.
Kasilo County MP, Mr Elijah Okupa asked BOU officials to avail samples of the Golden Jubilee pens that were bought to the committee.
BOU’s Director of Communications, Ms Christine Alupo defended the procurement saying it went through all due processes and the institution’s internal audit department is handling the matter.
