Budaka cuts allowances for LC leaders

The newly elected village Local Council (LC) chairpersons in Budaka District will receive less allowances and ex-gratia due to little funding from central government.

The district has registered a huge number of elected leaders, with 323 for LC1 chairpersons, 76 for LC2s, 20 for LC3s, and 41 district councillors.
Presenting the budget estimates for the Financial Year 2021/2022 before council for approval, Mr Sam Mulomi, the Budaka LC5 chairman, said the emoluments [councillors allowances and ex-gratia] for LC1 and LC2 chairpersons was not increased to cater for additional number of the elected leaders.

“The district has operated on the same budgetary allocations of these leaders for the last five years and yet the numbers of leaders have increased,” he said
 The district requires Shs105m to pay 35 district councillors at Shs250,000 per person for 12 months, Shs9.1m to pay  LC2 chairpersons at Shs10,000 for the same period and Shs38.8 million to pay LC1 chairpersons at Shs10,000 for a year.

Mr Mulomi said the total budgetary allocation required is Shs152.88 million but what was provided through the system was only Shs115 million.
He said at the prevailing situation, the district has been compelled to pay Shs159,809 per sitting instead of Shs250,000 for each district councillor per month before the mandatory tax deductions at 30 per cent.

Mr Mulomi said the total number of lower local governments councillors increased from 205 to 296 but with the same budgetary allocation of Shs68 million for ex-gratia. The quarterly allocation of ex-gratia is Shs17 million. 

“This implies that each sub-county councillor is to receive a quarterly allocation of only Shs57,432 with the monthly pay of Shs19,144 against the ministry directive of  Shs35,000 per month,” he said.

Budget
Approving the budget estimates before council, Mr Mulomi said the budget for Financial Year 2021/2022 stands at Shs29.7b compared to that of Financial Year 2020/2021 of Shs25.2b.

“The unrealistic release of central government funds and low revenue base are some of the factors that cripple the Budaka District Local Government from meeting its planned budget targets.” 

Out of Shs29.7b, education sector takes the lion’s share of Shs13.4b, health took Shs3.01b, administration took Shs4.5b, statutory bodies Shs502m, roads and engineering Shs782m, water Shs781m, trade, industry and local government Shs51.6m, planning Shs153.6m and natural resources Shs224m.
He noted that the budget will put more emphasis on consideration of the national priority programme that targets poverty alleviation. 

Mr Mulomi further said to achieve development priorities, councils must not only broaden the local revenue base but also strengthen revenue mobilisation and collection through the existing political and administrative structures.

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