MPs on Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee have been shocked by Ministry of Public Service’s failure to utilize Shs373bn meant for staff recruitment yet over 150,000 posts are vacant in various government departments, ministries and agencies.
While scrutinizing the documents from Ministry of Public Service today, MPs discovered that there were 469,465 established positions in various government entities, of which only 311,728 are filled, representing a 66.40% staffing level.
157,737 posts are yet to be filled.
The Committee discovered that the Ministry of Public Service returned to the Treasury Shs70bn in 2016/17, Shs217bn in 2017/2018 and Shs86bn in 2018/19.
The revelation caused protest from lawmakers like Florence Namayanja, the Bukoto East lawmaker, who rejected the delay to carry out recruitments for vacant posts calling upon the Committee to raise a red flag on the delayed recruitment of staff into government jobs in relation to unemployed Ugandans
Fred Angella, the Moroto Municipality MP, said that the Public Service officials who have failed to recruit workers in vacant posts despite the availability of the funds should be regarded as enemies of the state.
Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Service said the money meant for recruiting for the last three financial years was due to late submission of the names of recruited persons by the various government entities.
