Govt names best, worst performing ministries

Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, by the end of the second quarter (October-December), had achieved performance of 89.6 per cent of its budget. Shs351 billion (46% of the sector budget) had been released, with Dairy Development Authority sub-sector registering 97 per cent performance.
The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank, under the ministry, was trailing at 35 per cent budget performance.
Lands
The Lands, Housing and Urban Development ministry had an overall budget performance of 91 per cent by the end of December 2016 of the Shs139 billion that had been released.
However, performance on the development budget stood at a mere 34 per cent of funds already released to it “despite having received higher fund releases for development.”
Energy
Under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Shs250 billion was released by end of December 2016 (second quarter), representing 63 per cent of the sector’s allocated funds.
Shs215 billion had been spent, reflecting 86 per cent absorption. However, ministry of Finance report criticised the Energy Ministry for “a low absorption rate of 60.2 per cent under its Non-Wage Recurrent Budget.”
Works and Transport
This ministry takes home the lion’s share of the national budget because of what the government attributes to deliberate prioritisation of infrastructure growth. By the end of first half of 2016/17 financial year, Shs1.3 trillion, reflecting 55 per cent of the ministry’s approved budget of Shs3.8 trillion, had been spent. Shs1.1 trillion had been spent at that time and the Ministry of Finance noted “high absorption under Non-Wage Recurrent (NWR) with 95.9 per cent of the releases spent, followed by Capital Development at 86.7 per cent and lastly was wage at 77 per cent.”

Information and Communication Technology
By end of December 2016, out of the approved Shs58 billion, Shs29.5 billion had been released, accounting for 50 per cent of the budget funds.
Only Shs17 billion was spent, reflecting absorption of 58 per cent of the released funds. The Finance ministry noted that “high absorption was registered under Non-Wage Recurrent budge with 94.6 per cent of the releases spent, followed by Wage at 93.7 per cent and lastly was Capital Development at 66 per cent.”
Tourism, Trade and Industry
The Ministry had received Shs92.9 billion, which is 51 per cent of their Shs180 billion budget by the end of the second quarter.
The Uganda Industrial Research Institute, an agency under the Ministry, had the highest absorption rate of 99.9 percent followed by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, which had absorbed 95 per cent of the funds released in the second quarter.

Education
When the second quarter assessment was made, the education sector had received Shs1 trillion, which is 37 per cent of their approved Shs2.7 trillion budget. The ministry had spent Shs876 billion (32 per cent absorption). The assessment report noted that the “highest absorption was registered under wage at 99.7 per cent, followed by the Non-Wage Recurrent with 92.5 per cent of the releases spent, and Capital Development at 85 per cent.”
Health
The Health ministry received Shs746 billion by the end of December 2016, reflecting release of 40 per cent of their approved budget money.
Shs717 billion had been spent, reflecting 96 per cent absorption rate, leaving Shs29 billion unspent.

Water and Environment
Out of the ministry’s total approved budget of Shs998 billion, by the end of second quarter Shs251 billion had been released by the Ministry of Finance, reflecting 36 per cent disbursement.
The ministry was able to spend Shs219 billion, reflecting an absorption or performance of 87 per cent of the budget.
Agencies under the ministry that registered excellent performance scorecards are National Forestry Authority, which was credited for exhibiting the highest absorption rate of 93 per cent.
National Environment Management Authority came second whereas the Uganda National Meteorological Authority had the lowest absorption rate of 43.6 per cent in the sector.

Social Development
Out of the Shs194 billion allocated to the sector, Shs42 billion had been released by the end of the second quarter of the Financial Year, reflecting 21 per cent of funds received. The ministry had, by the time of the assessment, spent Shs40 billion, walking home with a shining absorption rate of 96 per cent.
The Wage category had the lowest absorption rate of 86 per cent, comparing unfavourably with Non-Wage Recurrent Budget at 98 per cent and the Development Budget at 96 per cent.
The ministry of Finance blamed the low absorption of wages on the fact that “Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and Equal Opportunities Commission still have posts that are not filled based on the recruitment plan.”
Security
This sector brings together ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Internal Security Organisation and External Security Organisation.
Total approved budget, excluding arrears, is Shs1.5 trillion, and by end of December 2016, Shs541 billion had been released by ministry of Finance.
In ministry of Finance’s own words, “the sector demonstrated high absorption of the funds, such that by end of the reporting period, 97.2 per cent (Shs 526.14bn) of the released funds had been spent.”
Poor performance was noted on funds released for external financing at 34.7 per cent.
Justice Law and Order Sector
The Justice, Law and Order Sector had a total approved budget of Shs1.1 trillion in the financial year ending June 2017.
By close of the second quarter, Shs628 billion had been released, but no reflection on general absorption was availed for assessment.
Public Sector Management
Under this sector, Ministry of Finance released Shs902.3 billion, with Shs889 billion being spent, reflecting 98.5 per cent fund absorption.

Parliament
Out of the Shs.257.602 billion released to the national assembly, Shs.219.498 had been spent by December, representing overall Sector absorption capacity of 84 per cent.
The Finance ministry says this was attributed to the Shs45.8 billion facilitation given to MPs for motor vehicles.
Development budget performed badly, a factor that was attributed to lack of contract for construction of new Parliamentary Chambers, the legislature’s biggest construction project.

Public Administration
The sector comprises Office of the President with an exception of the Internal Security Organisation, which is catered for under the Security sector.
The sector also includes State House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Electoral Commission and 35 diplomatic missions abroad. At the time of the assessment, Shs 336.71b had been released, excluding arrears. The assessment report commended the sector for “high level performance,” which it attributed to “the frontload of funds under both non-wage (rent) and development budget for Missions abroad, released to avoid high loss on poundage that was anticipated due to depreciation of the shilling against major currencies.”
The report added: “The sector demonstrated high absorption capacity, such that by end of the reporting period, 90 per cent (Shs 305.48b) of the released funds had been spent.”