*Uganda loses voting rights in international organizations over unpaid subscriptions*

Uganda has lost voting rights in many international organisations to which it is bound through protocols, treaties, and conventions on account of failure to either make contributions to their operations or pay annual subscription fees.

The Auditor General’s report for the period ending June 2023 put the total of unpaid subscriptions and contributions to global organisations at Shs41.867 billion. If the ministerial policy statement and budget estimates of the Foreign Affairs ministry for the Financial Year 2024/2025 is, however, anything to go by, the amount is set to increase to Shs61.268 billion.

A report that the House Committee on Foreign Affairs presented to Parliament mid-this month noted that the Finance ministry had only provided the Foreign Affairs ministry Shs6.139 billion out of the Shs25.54 billion that it requires to pay subscription fees to the international organisations in the forthcoming Financial Year. That leaves a shortfall of Shs19.401 billion, the same amount by which the arrears would increase.

“The Committee noted with concern that while a solution is being sought to clear the outstanding arrears, in the financial year 2024/2025, Shs25.54 billion is required to subscribe to International organisations, but only Shs6.139 billion has been provided for, leaving a shortfall of Shs19.401 billion. This shortfall begins a new cycle of arrears of subscription remittance to international organisations,” the House report notes.

The statement indicates Parliament’s advice to the Finance ministry to avail funds and also take direct charge of the payment of dues to the various international bodies had not been taken up.

“It should be recalled that during the consideration of the Budget Framework Paper, clearing arrears to the International organisations should be transferred from the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the budget of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The Committee observed that in the MPS [Ministerial Policy Statement], the minister indicated that indeed Shs41.867 billion was not provided for,” the report reads in part.

Saturday Monitor understands that the actual amount that the country owes the international bodies remains a subject of contention.

In July last year, Mr Vincent Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry, told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the figure had hit the Shs49 billion mark, adding that Uganda was considering drastic measures. This, he added then, includes suspending its subscription to some international organisations.

Mr Bagiire also told PAC that the Finance ministry had over the years been providing only Shs6 billion per year for subscriptions. That money was always channelled toward payment of arrears.

Implications

As a result, Uganda has lost voting rights in some of the international organisations. It was not possible for Saturday Monitor to establish the global bodies to which Uganda can no longer have a say.

Mr Harold Acemah, a retired foreign service officer, said the fact that defaulters are read out ahead of key votes during meetings of some of those organisations, makes the embarrassment immense.

“Once you are in arrears you are not allowed to vote and they announce it. It is embarrassing. They read out all those countries that are in arrears and yet our contributions is really small,” Mr Acemah told Saturday Monitor.

Mr Milton Muwuma, the Kigulu South lawmaker who sits on Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, agreed with Mr Acemah on the defaulting being a source of immense embarrassment.

“Because we are defaulters, sometimes it reaches a time when you are meant to discuss something that would benefit the nation, but you are not allowed to speak or vote because you have not paid up. We get ashamed. We emphasised this to the Budget committee,” Mr Muwuma said.

The Kigulu South lawmaker added that whereas Uganda put on a brave face during the special Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) conference that ran in Kampala at the same time as the G77 plus China and Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summits, it was embarrassing that the President chaired it because Uganda had not fully paid up. Uganda hosted both the NAM and later G77+China Summit between January 15 and 20 this year. Uganda was then named to chair the two for the next three years.

“Such things (failure to remit dues) are causing diplomatic challenges. Imagine you are the chair, but have never fulfilled your obligations! Even when you take over that seat you cannot be comfortable in it. You are there, but people are wondering what you are up to,” Mr Muwuma said.

Mr John Mulimba, the junior Regional Cooperation minister, declined to comment on the matter.

No post NAM/G77 budget

To add salt to injury Uganda has not made provisions for funding several activities that had been earmarked to take place as follow-ups to the NAM and G77 plus China summits. This is despite the fact that it was named to chair the two bodies for the next three years. This concern was raised last week by members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The committee recommended in its report to Parliament that Shs3 billion be allocated to the post-NAM and post-G77 plus China activities.

“It is now recommended that a sum of Shs1 billion be provided to the [Foreign Affairs] ministry for post-NAM activities and Shs2 billion for post-G77+China summit activities,” the members said in their report to the full House.

During a July 11, 2023 plenary sitting of Parliament, Mr Mulimba, without giving full details, revealed that Uganda was party to at least 243 international conventions, treaties, and protocols. It was not possible to establish which bodies the country owes subscription fees on account of the said conventions, treaties and protocols.

Mr Muwada Nkunyingi, the shadow minister for Foreign Affairs, however, named some of those that the country is indebted to as the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), Igad, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Mr Nkunyingi could not, however, say how much the country owes those organisations.

During the July 11, 2023 plenary sitting, Minister Mulimba presented to the House a list of some of the organisations to which Uganda was indebted. The list included Igad, which Uganda owed Shs7.4 billion; the AU, which Uganda owed Shs10 billion; the World Food Programme (WFP), which Uganda owed Shs14.7 billion; and the UN, which Uganda owed Shs1 billion.

Others included the International Conference on the Great Lakes and the Organisation of Islamic Countries, both of which Uganda owed Shs1 billion apiece; and the Commonwealth Secretariat, which Uganda owes Shs109 million.

Sources within the Foreign Affairs ministry indicated that Uganda also owes the East African Community at least Uganda $6.1 million (about 23.09 billion).