Africa-Press – Uganda. The chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprise (Cosase) has vowed to evoke the powers bestowed upon the committee to ensure that the Minister of Finance, Mr Matia Kasaija, heeds summons to answer queries on the Uganda-China loan deal.
Mr Joel Ssenyonyi made the remark yesterday after the minister did not show up despite the committee summoning him through a November 30 letter.
Mr Ssenyonyi said the minister did not explain his absence as required. He said Mr Kasija should have issued a prior communication about his absence.
“So he has chosen not to show up today [yesterday]. Perhaps he does not have the answers which we require. As a committee, we have powers of the High Court. But when you decide to snub the committee, then we engage another gear because we have powers to do that. We are going to summon him using the powers that we have,” Mr Ssenyonyi, who is also the Nakawa West MP, told journalists.
He added: “We are going to issue the summons, and if he does not respond to them, then we shall send police to [pick] him because he is not above the law.”
Mr Ssenyonyi said the committee must get the minister because Ugandans are worried about the status of the airport.
When asked if the committee would agree to meet one of Mr Kasaija’s deputies, Mr Ssenyonyi said the committee is interested in the Cabinet minister since he inked the deal.
Mr Kasaija first appeared before the committee in October, where he reportedly raised an alarm about some of the clauses in the Shs713 billion Uganda-China loan agreement.
However, Attorney General, Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, on Wednesday told Parliament that conditions in the deal were ‘not bad’ and the government would be able to pay back the loan.
Prior to this, the Minister for Information, Communication and Technology, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, told Ugandans that the airport was safe and would not be exchanged for any cash from China or any other party.
Dr Baryomunsi indicated that the loan comes with a grace period of seven years and has an interest rate of two percent. He also indicated that Uganda has to pay back the loan in 20 years.
The Shs713b loan secured from China’s Export and Import (EXIM) bank in March 2015 is meant to facilitate the expansion and upgrading of the Entebbe airport.
The Deputy Speaker , Ms Anita Among, on Tuesday directed Cosase to handle the issue and thereafter furnish the House with a comprehensive report once the probe is concluded.
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