The Parliament of Uganda has requested for a supplementary budget worth Shs77.6bn to cover for money that was re-allocated during the ending 2016/2017 Financial Year.
This request is contained in a letter dated May25, 2017 by Clerk to Parliament, Jane Kibirige to Finance Ministry.
Explaining the need for the supplementary budget, Chris Obore, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Parliament of Uganda said, with the authorization of the Secretary to the Treasury, Parliament reallocated funds from different activities to facilitate purchase of vehicles for lawmakers in the 10th Parliament.
Following Parliament’s supplementary request, Finance Ministry has since released Shs12bn, leaving a deficit of Shs65.6bn.
Obore said some of the activities that were affected by the re-allocation include committee operations, gratuity of members and development budget.
“We picked money from the Development Fund; our development projects stalled including the construction of the new chamber,” Obore said, adding: “There is no new money Parliament is asking for; it is asking for what it had budgeted, but because of the releases not coming well, advise was given by finance ‘that please work within what you have, we will replenish it’.”
The supplementary request by Parliament comes after media reports early this month indicated that travels abroad by legislators had been stopped following an exhaustion of funds for travel abroad for committees in Parliament.
