Parliament spends Shs2b on new iPads

Parliament has procured new iPads estimated at Shs2.3b to be distributed to 529 Members of Parliament and the 26 ex-officio members of the 11th Parliament.

Sources in Parliament who spoke to Daily Monitor said the high-tech gadgets, which cost about  Shs4.2m($1,200) each, arrived in the country on Wednesday evening. 

The Apple iPad 9.7, 128gb (2018), one of the brands received by some MPs in the 10th Parliament, costs $309 (about Shs1m), according to information on the manufacture’s website.

According to the source, Parliament’s IT directorate would require two to three weeks to configure the gadgets and train members on how to use them.

Another source familiar with the  procurement arrangements told Daily Monitor that Parliament under the leadership of former Clerk to Parliament, Ms Jane Kibirige, reached an agreement with one of the telecommunications companies to provide free Internet data for the legislators. However, the cost has not been disclosed.

Ms Kibirige has since been retired in public interest and replaced with former Defence minister  Adolf Mwesige

Mr Chris Obore, the director of communications at Parliament, told Daily Monitor yesterday that the gadgets would be available in about two weeks from now.

Just last week, MPs received Shs200m  each to purchase cars of their choice, a move that was met with criticism from civil society players, blaming government for placing its  priorities in a wrong place, especially during a time when  the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted livelihoods.

But Mr Obore defended the procurement saying just like cars, the gadgets are an entitlement for every new Parliament.

“We are soon receiving them, the procurement process is almost getting done. You do not just purchases them, you go through a procurement process. May be in a week or two the supplier will have delivered them…they normally allow the lowest bidder,” Mr Obore said.

The legislators’ benefits remain intact, even as government  cut Ministries, Departments and Agencies  budgets by 40 per cent and it  looks  for money to purchase Covid-19 vaccines.

The purchase of the gadgets for MPs was first approved by the Parliamentary Commission in 2013 during the 9th Parliament at more than Shs1b.

The trend continued with legislators of the 10th Parliament receiving iPads in 2016 costing about Shs1.9b.

Members of the 10th Parliament were, however, asked to either return the gadgets or pay for them a maximum of Shs700,000 each. The communication from the Clerk to Parliament stated that the iPads are the property of government and must be returned before the end of their term.

“MPs returned them and those who did not paid for them. That was done long time before the 10th Parliament ended. We are trying to get iPads for the new Parliament,” Mr Obore said.

Background

In 2013 when the idea was first approved, then Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said the gadgets would reduce the costs of printing and stationery in Parliament.

An investigation by this newspaper a year after the introduction, however, found that the expenditure on printing, stationery, photocopying and binding had instead increased from Shs383.9m in 2013/2014 financial year to more than Shs1.5b in the 2014/2015.

For the current financial year, Shs250million was approved for printing.