Parliament Adjourned for Two Weeks to Review Budget Performance

In a move to assess the efficacy of the 2022/2023 financial year budget, Parliament has postponed its sessions for a two-week period, allowing Members of Parliament to conduct oversight visits across the country.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, presiding over the session on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, adjourned the House until November 15, 2023, underscoring the significance of evaluating the current financial year’s Shs52 trillion budget as the new budgeting cycle commences.

“We’re already receiving medium-term expenditure frameworks, signaling the start of the budgeting process. While we see reports on paper regarding last year’s budget, it’s crucial to verify its implementation on the ground,” Tayebwa emphasized.

He expressed his intent to partake in some oversight visits to witness firsthand the utilization of allocated funds, emphasizing the pivotal role of effective oversight in enhancing budget performance.

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Upon their return, each committee is expected to present their findings to the House to contribute to better budget implementation.

In a related context, some MPs urged the government to adopt a more realistic approach in budgeting to avoid shortfalls that impact service delivery.

Hon. Nathan Byanyima (NRM, Bukanga North County) highlighted the challenges faced by various districts due to insufficient funds released by the finance ministry, especially affecting road infrastructure.

“There are no releases, it is air supply. We’d prefer a budget focusing on one sector, allowing us to witness tangible progress, rather than making promises every year and achieving nothing,” Byanyima stated.

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Hon. Elijah Mushemeza (Indep. Sheema County South) stressed the need for government expenditure to align with available revenue, cautioning against unrealistic budget figures in a challenging global borrowing environment.

Deputy Speaker Tayebwa emphasized the importance of strategic budgeting, suggesting consideration of proposed revenue in tax bills to prevent discrepancies between budget appropriation and actual realization.

Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, attributed budget financing challenges to mismatches between released funds and the actual cash realization, urging collective understanding and collaboration to address these issues.