PM Nabbanja fifth from the left with some of the members of PACOB
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has said that the NRM must implement its 2021-26 manifesto in order to remain Uganda’s party of choice.
Nabbanja said they are aiming at achieving 100 per cent manifesto implementation by the fourth year of this current term so that by the time the country goes for another election in 2026, they don’t have to struggle to convince people to vote for them again.
She was today launching the Presidential Advisory Committee on Budget [PACOB], which brings together the Ministry of Finance, Members of Parliament, the National Planning Authority, and the NRM party manifesto committee among others, to scrutinize the national budget and align it with the NRM manifesto and the National Development Plan.
“…if you want to know someone’s priorities, you simply have to look at how they have allocated their budgets. You put your money where your mouth or priorities are. It is therefore through PACOB that the priorities of this Government which are well articulated in our manifesto, presidential directives and constituency needs, will be taken care of and aligned, so that the people who gave us their votes overwhelmingly for the term of office of 2021-2026, see that we are delivering on what we promised them,” Nabbanja said.
Nabbanja said people have expectations that they want to be fulfilled and this can only happen if all government agencies work together on those priorities that have been identified as crucial for social and economic transformation.
Nabbanja says that the NRM seeks to cause social-economic transformation through creating jobs, and addressing the needs of the 39 per cent of our population who are still outside the money economy.
She added that the budget must target interventions that put money in the pockets of people like promoting agro-processing, industrialization, and infrastructure development, which include building roads, railways, power stations to unlock the economy and enable people to get markets for their produce, and asked those appointed to make sure that the money allocated in the budget actually does what it is meant to do by purging all holes through which government money is lost in corruption.
Thomas Tayebwa, the government Chief Whip said they want to involve MPs in the formulation and identification of national priorities to be funded so that when the budget goes to parliament it is not rejected by the same MPs. He said in the past President Yoweri Museveni has complained about MPs refusing to fund activities that he listed as important for national transformation.
Tayebwa also dispelled fears that PACOB will be undercutting the role of parliament of appropriating the country’s resources. “What does it help for us as government to set priorities or allocate money to certain sectors and then government removes it. This is moving together, we are taking one direction from the onset, what is being done is setting priorities not appropriating money,” Tayebwa said.
The 25-member committee which will be chaired by Elgon County MP Wamakuyu Mudimi includes among others, Dr Kiwanuka Keefa Dickson Kateshumbwa , Emely Kugonza Patrick Isiagi . Other members include former MPs; Michael Tusiime and Syda Bumba, Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi, Joanita Orishaba the chairperson of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute and Senior Presidential advisor Moses Byaruhanga among others.
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Actions speak louder than words.