Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi
The chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, has described Uganda’s Shs72.136 trillion budget for Financial Year 2024/2025 as a big joke.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is expected to collect Shs31.98 trillion in revenue for the 2024/25 financial year.
Kivumbi, who is an economist and the Butambala County Member of Parliament, made the remarks on Wednesday evening while appearing on UBC’s ‘Behind the Headlines’ program.
He said that the country’s budget for this financial year is “an absolute joke.”
“If Finance (Ministry) collects Shs 50 trillion, they will come for a bull from me,” said Kivumbi. According to Kivumbi, Uganda struggles to raise local revenue.
He added that there is no money to run the government this financial year.
“Donor support has completely been wiped out. There is no money to run government this year,” said Kivumbi.
Kivumbi argues that the House was aware of a Shs 54 trillion budget, of which Finance was only sure of Shs 50 trillion. “There was a deficit of Shs 4 trillion,” said Kivumbi.
However, to their shock, the budget was adjusted to Shs 72 trillion.
“This country has a serious budget crisis and gross expenditure,” said Kivumbi. He added that the budget was never discussed as is a requirement.
Kivumbi now wants the Finance Ministry to define supplementary, budget re-purposing, and restructuring.
However, Moses Kaggwa, the Director of Finance and Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, who was appearing on the same panel, said “this year’s budget is the best” for as long as “it is executed the way it is.”
“I am very confident that we will execute the budget,” said Kaggwa.
Kaggwa noted that the budget was arrived at after thorough research, consultations, and discussions.
“We are confident that we will mobilize resources to finance the budget,” Kaggwa said.
He also said that it was not abnormal for the President to have returned the Appropriation Bill to Parliament.
Whereas Kaggwa is sure about this year’s budget, Kivumbi says that it will not go beyond September before Finance runs to Parliament for a supplementary.
