Speaker Anita Among has threatened to implement budget cuts for lazy Committees that haven’t produced any reports since their inception, one year down the road.
The Speaker made the threat in her communication during the plenary sitting where she noted that although President Museveni announced 62 bills that Parliament has to scrutunise this year, there hasn’t been any progress made yet Parliament only has less than two months ahead of the September recess.
“So far we have concluded only one bill yet we are meant to have gone a long way into the bills brought by Government, we were given about 62 but we have only finished one bill. Other Committees should expedite work that is in their committees,” the Speaker said.
Among the Committees cited included the HIV/AIDS and Related Matters Committee headed by Sarah Kayagi Netalisire (DWR Namisindwa) and Stephen Kisa (Luuka South) and The Equal Opportunities Committee headed by Alyek Judith (DWR Kole) and Acen Dorcus (DWR Alebtong).
“You can only be accountable when you bring the report and we have asked clerk not to release money for committees that aren’t working. We have never received any report from Committee of HIV and Committee of Equal Opportunities Commission, so new are going to have reports presented for the last session,” added the Speaker.
However, Sarah Opendi (DWR Tororo) blamed the laziness by some Committees by some Ministers refusing to implement and table statements they promise during plenary, saying this has left some Committees idle.
“The performance of this house is also dependent on ministers. When you give directives on certain matters and the minister commits to bring a statement and takes three months, that also becomes a challenge on our part and we end up with so many issues,” said Opendi.
Parliament currently has 29 Committee and every MP is supposed to be member on two committees, one sectoral and the other standing committees.
