Africa-Press – Uganda. Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Uganda have asked the government to halt funding all Ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that fail to submit their annual strategic development plans before national budgetary allocations are done.
In a joint call made to Finance minister Matia Kasaija on Thursday, the CSOs said such failure frustrates government efforts to grow the economy.
Mr Julius Mukunda, the executive director of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), joined entities like the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) and Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) in recommending punitive action.
The entities were responding to the Parliamentary Committee on Budget’s report presented last month by its chairperson, Mr Patrick Isiagi.
The report named and shamed the Uganda Police Force, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Development Cooperation and Uganda Human Rights Commission.
Others include the Trade ministry, Uganda Road Fund, Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, and Kawempe Referral Hospital.
“Of all ministries I wouldn’t mind, but when I see the Office of Prime Minister has no approved strategic plan, I don’t know what we are coordinating,” Mr Mukunda said.
Mr Kasaija was consequently tasked to explain how MDAs would be on track to deliver even without strategic development plans.
The Finance minister stated that MDAs premise their plans on the overall plans in the third National Development Plan (NDPIII) processed by the National Planning Authority (NPA).
Meanwhile, SEATINI executive director Jane Nalunga commended President Museveni for asking inflation-weary Ugandans to turn to cash-cum-food crops like cassava.
Ms Nalunga said cassava “is a food security product” and that “we eat it from the roots up to the top—the food, firewood and vegetables.” She added: “It is [also] an industrial product because you can be able to make ethanol, starch and it is a key input in the pharmaceutical industry. We import a lot of starch yet we can generate it here.”
MDAs without development plans
• Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority
• Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
• Office of Prime Minister
• Uganda Virus Research Institute
• Uganda Road Fund
• Mulago Hospital Complex
• Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives
• National Lotteries and Gaming Board
• Kawempe Referral Hospital
• Uganda Development Corporation
• Uganda Police Force
• Jinja Regional Referral Hospital
• Mission in India
• Hoima Regional Referral Hospital
• Mission in France,
• Uganda Human Rights Commission.
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