Parliament Approves Major Overhaul of Government Agencies to Boost Efficiency

In a significant move to enhance government efficiency and optimize resource utilization, the Parliament of Uganda, under the leadership of Speaker Anita Among, passed several bills aimed at rationalizing government agencies on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

During the session, Parliament approved five critical bills, namely the Warehouse Receipt System (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Free Zones (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Uganda Exports Promotions Boards Act (Repeal) Bill 2024, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre Act (Repeal) Bill 2024, and the Uganda Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2024. These legislative changes are part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and improve service delivery within the government framework.

Additionally, debates ensued over the rationalization of the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the National Commission for UNESCO (Amendment) Bill 2024. A significant development was the proposal to revert the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) from its semi-autonomous status back to the Ministry of Water and Environment, despite a recommendation from the Environment Committee to maintain its independence due to its specialized functions.

Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, the Chairperson of the Committee, emphasized UNMA’s critical role in weather and climate monitoring, which is essential for early warning systems and mitigating climate-related challenges. “UNMA has a specialized and specific role that is not duplicated at the Ministry level, making it crucial to retain its autonomy while allowing the Ministry to focus on policy development,” Dr. Otaala explained.

However, the debate highlighted varying opinions among members. Prof. Elijah Mushemeza raised concerns about UNMA’s financial performance under its current structure, while Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda supported the government’s drive for efficiency and better resource allocation.

Parliament also decided to transfer the Warehouse Receipt System Authority to the Ministry of Trade, Industries, and Cooperatives following critiques about its financial and governance inefficiencies, as reported by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, Chairperson of the Trade Committee. “There have been issues with fund absorption and unauthorized carryover of funds, indicating poor governance,” Mpaka stated.

Despite these moves, some opposition came from Hon. Enos Asiimwe, who argued that stakeholders such as banks, farmers’ groups, and warehouse owners were not adequately consulted about the implications of transferring the authority back to the Ministry.

In a further consolidation effort, Parliament repealed the Uganda Export Promotions Act, Cap 102, merging the Export Promotions Board with the Uganda Free Zones Authority to form the new Uganda Free Zone and Exports Promotions Authority. Additionally, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre Act (Repeal) Bill 2024 and the Uganda Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2024 were passed, merging UWEC with UWA to streamline wildlife management and conservation education efforts.

These legislative actions represent a substantial reshaping of government functions aimed at reducing redundancy, enhancing accountability, and improving overall government effectiveness in Uganda.