Parliament’s Director for Communication and Public Affairs Chris Obore has dismissed reports indicating that Members of Parliament are to be given a 46 percent salary increment effective next financial year.
Media reports yesterday quoted a budget call circular issued by the Ministry of Finance on February 22nd indicating that legislators are to get an additional Six million Shillings each to their current monthly pay of 12 million Shillings before taxes.
According to the reports, the circular is authored by the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi and addressed to all accounting officers.
A budget circular call is a statement which summarises the government’s expenditure strategy for the coming financial year and outlines the budget process and timetable.
It is indicated that the decision was finalised following the approval of the Parliament Commission’s budget proposals. The increment means that the taxpayers will foot an additional 2.6 billion Shillings increase in the MPs’ wage bill.
However, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network-URN, Obore has criticised the salary increment reports terming them as fake news intended to damage MPs and parliament.
Obore said that MPs salary is a statutory matter also noting that President Yoweri Museveni is on record stopping salary increment for all public servants including members of parliament.