Latest news with #ParishDevelopmentModel
Zawya
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
President Museveni Tasks Journalists to Promote Regional Integration, Defend Parish Development Model (PDM) Initiative
According to the President, the journalists should use their platforms to promote national development. While meeting journalists of Greater Mubende at State Lodge- Mubende, the President emphasized that the media has a critical role to play in shaping public discourse and building a unified, economically viable region. The meeting was part of the Presidential Assessment tour of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in the Greater Mubende which commenced on April 15th, 2025. 'You, the journalists, should be at the forefront of promoting regional integration. Sensitize the public through radio and media platforms. Those who are still focusing on Buganda, Ankole, or other regions in isolation are making a mistake. Uganda alone is not enough,' President Museveni said. He gave a personal example, saying that although he is a cattle keeper from Ankole, it is people in other regions like Kampala who create demand for his milk and beef, not fellow Banyankole who also produce the same goods. 'We need the East African market. Internal markets are limited. That's why we always tell you that this is not just about economics, it's also about politics. Regional integration will help us get better prices through a wider market,' he added. Switching focus to the Parish Development Model, President Museveni challenged journalists to act as watchdogs, educating the public about the program and exposing those misusing the funds meant for the poor. 'We brought PDM money to help the poor. How do leaders come in and take it? You must defend your people's money. Use your media platforms to expose those who are not serving. Tell the people that some of these problems come from voting in the wrong leaders,' President Museveni said. He explained that the PDM funds are meant to flow from the Ministry of Finance, through banks to SACCOS, and questioned the involvement of parish chiefs who are only supposed to support community mobilization. 'You journalists should explain how this program is supposed to work. Mobilize the people, expose the corrupt. This is your role in protecting national development,' he emphasized. On broader economic issues, the President addressed the recent collapse in maize prices, saying that the solution lies in long-term strategies like value addition, subsidies, and regional market access. 'The price drop cannot be solved overnight. We need more value addition to turn cassava into posho or ethanol. If Kenya wasn't blocking our maize, the demand would be there. That's why we need East African integration,' President Museveni said. He concluded by urging journalists to remain patriotic and push the National Resistance Movement (NRM) agenda of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic transformation, and democracy. 'Your job is not just reporting it's building the nation. Love Uganda, love Africa, and use your voice to uplift the people,' he said. On his part, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, also clarified on the structure and function of the Parish Development Model implementation committees, emphasizing the importance of transparency and community involvement. He explained that there are two distinct committees involved in the management of PDM funds. 'The first is the SACCO Committee, formed by local residents themselves. This committee consists of five members, elected by the community, and it is responsible for identifying and selecting the beneficiaries of the PDM funds,' Dr. Baryomunsi said. 'The second is the Parish Development Committee, which plays a supervisory role. It is chaired by the LC2 Chairperson and includes the Chairperson of the Women's Council and the Chairperson of the Youth,' he added. He further explained that when funds are disbursed, they are sent directly to the SACCO's bank account, and only designated signatories from the SACCO Committee have the authority to access the funds. 'The money is sent to the SACCO's bank account, and only the authorized signatories who are members of the SACCO leadership are allowed to handle it. This structure is designed to ensure accountability and community ownership,' Dr. Baryomunsi stated. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.
Zawya
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
President Museveni Hosts Iftar Dinner at State House, Praises Muslim Community for Ramadan Observance and Emphasizes Unity and Economic Empowerment
During the dinner, the President congratulated the Muslims for successfully fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. 'We are left with only a few days for Ramadan to end. We pray that God keeps us safe until the end,' he said. President Museveni also urged believers that as they worship God, they should also think about working towards improving their household incomes. 'You the religious leaders, I think you should begin helping your people to develop the thinking of worshipping and working as well,' he said. President Museveni further lauded the Muslims for finally embracing the Parish Development Model (PDM) initiative. 'I'm glad that you finally accepted my PDM money because some people had misinterpreted that money, saying that it has riba (interest). I'm not profiteering from you, the government of Uganda is our grandparent, and this grandparent gives you money every year per parish and this money is yours, it's not going back to the government so that's not profiteering,' he said. 'The five percent we are putting on the Shs1m for each year is in order to keep the value for that money so that it is able to maintain the purchasing power of a product.' Furthermore, the President commended Muslims for listening to the NRM message of unity. 'I want to thank you for listening to our message of unity. You can see how the world is in chaos because of misinterpreting religion. I don't think God said the Catholics and Protestants should fight Muslims or vice versa. I have never read it anywhere when God is saying that you must have sectarianism,' he noted. 'Those people who do discrimination are really greedy people. The way you have been introducing yourselves, the Sunnis, Shia, Ahmadiyas are all here. I think that's very good; that's the spirit of God in my view.' President Museveni also cautioned against interfering in the freedom of worship. 'Why do you interfere in the freedom of worship? Let them worship as long as they don't break the law.' President Museveni also contributed 10 tractors to the 10 Muslim regions in Uganda. The Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo thanked President Museveni and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni for their generosity in extending an invitation to the Muslim community to celebrate the State Iftar dinner annually. 'Your Excellency, Uganda is one of the countries where all religious denominations are respected, honoured, valued and given maximum freedom of worship,' she said. 'In fact, freedom of worship in Uganda is Constitutional and all this, Your Excellency, is due to your strategic and visionary leadership and the NRM good practice of non-discrimination. We thank you very much Your Excellency for permitting all the people of Uganda to worship where they feel comfortable.' The Vice President also thanked the Muslim community for supporting President Museveni and the NRM government. Representing the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Ramathan Mubajje, the First Deputy Mufti, Sheikh Waiswa Muhammad Ali thanked President Museveni for hosting the Muslim community for an Iftar dinner annually. 'We do not take this for granted,' he said. Sheikh Waiswa also commended the President for standing with the Muslim community in fostering unity, patriotism, democracy and socio-economic transformation through various government programs. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.
Zawya
14-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
'Prioritize National Resistance Movement (NRM) Message Of Wealth Creation,' President Museveni Urges Kigezi Leaders
'My main message to all of you is prioritizing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) message on wealth creation. Uganda has so many development needs; it is alright to talk about them, but prioritizing is crucial. Like the Bible tells us: seek me first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,' he said. The President, who is on a performance assessment tour on wealth creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Kigezi, made the remarks yesterday while meeting leaders in the subregion at Rukungiri Stadium, Rukungiri municipality. The PDM is a government initiative aimed at transforming Uganda's economy by extending financial assistance directly to the people outside the money economy, at the parish level to help lift households out of poverty. Each parish SACCO receives Shs. 100 million in a financial year to develop and implement viable income-generating enterprises. 'Leadership is like medical work; just as doctors diagnose patients and prescribe the correct medicine, political leaders must identify societal needs first and address them. This is what the NRM has been telling you since the 1960s,'the President said, adding that it is not only about tarmac roads, electricity, and other infrastructure that will chase poverty out of Uganda but prioritizing initiatives such as the PDM to ensure all households engage in income generating activities such as commercial agriculture. 'That road from Kampala to Mbarara up to Kabale was tarmacked in 1963 after independence and we have been repairing it like three times but even if you go there now, you find the tarmac road with poor people by the roadside. For 60 years they have had a tarmac road, but they are poor. Therefore, you the leaders, let us agree on this,' H.E. Museveni noted. He further informed the leaders that areas like Nyabusozi, which listened to his message, did not have tarmac roads but realized that the dairy sector could get them out of poverty and have since become prosperous. 'Cows don't mind about tarmac roads or electricity. They only need grass and water. After that experiment from Nyabusozi, I went and briefed the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), and in 1996 we included in the NRM manifesto that commercial agriculture is the only solution to getting people out of poverty,' the President said, adding that because Ugandans had land but did not know what to do, the NRM encouraged them to do intensive agriculture by using their small portions of land to focus on products with high returns under the four acre model. In the Manifesto, they recommended seven activities, which include one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), another one for food crops for the family (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for dairy cattle (about 8 of them). On top of this, one can add on poultry for eggs in the backyard, piggery and fish farming. 'Those who listened to our message have gotten out of poverty. That is what has brought me here. As leaders, leaving our people to languish in poverty yet solutions are there, is a very big mistake,' the President stated while giving an example of the several farmers he has visited countrywide with glowing testimonies of how their life has changed as a result of the PDM funds. President Museveni further warned about reports of extortion and corruption in the PDM program, promising to reign in and arrest all perpetrators. 'I have heard that there are thieves in PDM. All those who stole money from the poor should return it. I'm on the ground and I'm going to arrest them all. I also stopped all the bank charges. The beneficiary must receive their full Shs. 1 million,' President Museveni warned. He also reiterated that he had already informed the cabinet of the need to establish a processing factory for the ever-increasing volumes of eggs yet with limited market. 'You have heard that they have a lot of eggs in Kabale and the market of Uganda is not enough. I told the ministers that instead of selling them (eggs) raw or eating them in Rolex chapatis, we need to see that we process those eggs into baby foods. We shall sell both in Uganda and the whole world,' the President highlighted. 'We saw the same thing in the dairy sector after the cattle corridor started producing a lot of milk and the Ugandan market was insufficient. I brought rich people to produce powdered milk which we sell in North Africa and the Middle East,' the President said. He also promised to return to the subregion for a special meeting focusing on tea growing. In the same meeting, President Museveni was informed about the silent growing habit of divisions based on religion in Kigezi. 'This must stop immediately. Those creating divisions are greedy enemies of Uganda. Maama Janet and I have bananas in Ntungamo but we sell them to all irrespective of religion. When I was studying at Mbarara High School, the people who bought our cows for me to study were from Kampala and some were Muslims. So, those promoting sectarianism are enemies,' the President stated. Regarding the issue of environmental protection, the President appealed to the people of Kigezi to use the wetlands correctly because of their crucial role in providing water for agricultural production and home use. The status of PDM in Kigezi sub-region: Earlier, the National Coordinator of PDM, Hon. Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi provided a detailed account of the model performance in the Kigezi sub-region. He informed the meeting that a total of Shs. 88.8 billion has been distributed among 428 PDM SACCOs in the nine local governments of the Kigezi sub region comprising six districts and three municipalities. The highest beneficiary according to size is Kanungu district with Shs. 20.2 billion and the lowest being Kisoro municipality with Shs. 1.5 billion. Hon. Gabaluzi, however, noted that whereas the region has been capitalized with shs.88.8 billion, the cumulative disbursement rate to date is Shs. 87.5 billion with the highest disbursement rate being by Rukungiri municipality at a rate of 100.6%. 'This 100.6% means that point six is even interest that has accumulated on the account. So, it is a good disbursement rate,' Hon. Galabuzi said, noting that Rubanda lags in disbursement of PDM funds at 95%. 'So, the total disbursement percentage in the sub-region is at 98.5% which is a good disbursement percentage, but we still desire it to be 100%,' he added, further mentioning that a total of 88,000 households have benefited, the highest number being in Kanungu, at 19,000 households and the smallest being Kisoro. About 38% of the beneficiaries are in crop agriculture and 20% in livestock mainly piggery. He added that the funds have been distributed well according to the allocated quarters which include; 30% for the youth, 30% for women, 10% for the elders, 10% to persons with disabilities, and 20% for any other member of the community that does not fall in those special interest groups. 'This sample analysis shows that 58% of the beneficiaries are female. This shows that when it comes to livelihoods and trying to improve the livelihoods in your home states, women are more vigilant than men by these figures,' Hon. Gababuzi stated Although adults between 35 and 59 years are the most beneficiaries, Hon. Galabuzi said the PDM secretariat is impressed by the figures of the elderly above 60 years who have actively participated in the PDM up to 13% which is way beyond their quarter. 'So, we are within the ranges and the targets of what we had set in the beginning, and the intentions and objectives of the PDM are being realized within the statistics. These figures will help us know exactly how to plan, along the value chain, down the value chain, and how to get these products to the market,' he said. About extortion, bank charges, and other small charges from agents, Hon. Galabuzi clarified that in line with the directive by the President, the PDM secretariat has budgeted for all the charges to ensure beneficiaries get full Shs. 1 million and also ensure that the number of agents are increased to at least per Parish. 'So, we don't expect any further charges on that money. The beneficiary is supposed to get 1 million shillings without any charge. So, anything less than that is criminality. And the President has given the Secretariat and other security agencies a directive that we shall be arresting anyone who tries to put charges on this money because it's criminal,' he stated. Residents share views on PDM performance: Mr. Mbabazi Pieri, who is a councilor of Hamurwa sub-county and deputy speaker of the Rubanda district, decried the imbalance in PDM distribution within the district, which has led to poor performance. Rubanda district has 17 administrative units, 470 villages, and 69 parishes. 'Hamurwa sub-county has five parishes with 67 villages. Originally it was six parishes. They removed one parish and made it Hamurwa Town Council with 8 villages. Now Hamurwa remains with 65 villages and a town council of 8 villages, two of which form a parish. You find a parish of those two villages, getting Shs. 100 million yet I have a parish in Hamurwa with 16 villages,' Mbabazi said. Ms. Kembabazi Loy, a female youth Councilor in Kanungu district, called for transparency in selecting beneficiaries, adding that due to corruption, the names of certain beneficiaries are deleted from the list. Mr. Turyabagyenyi Immy, a councilor representing people with disabilities (PWDs) in the Rukungiri district, thanked the government for considering them (PWDs) in the program but expressed dismay over the exclusion of some of their people, such as the deaf. 'Send us sign language interpreters so that category of people also benefits from the PDM,' Turyabagenyi said. Mr. Akampurira Gideon from Rukiga district said the exclusion of local government leaders as beneficiaries of the PDM program is affecting its effective implementation. 'We also need to access this money so that we monitor a program that we fully understand,' he said. Mr. Karuru Godfrey, who hails from Nyanamo Town Council in Bukimbiri County, Kisoro district, said the program intended for poor people has ended up in the hands of the already well-off. Status of Emyooga in the subregion: The Minister of State for Microfinance, Hon. Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune made a presentation on the status of the Emyooga program. According to Hon. Kasolo, the Emyooga program aims at inculcating a saving culture among the beneficiaries in their Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) who earn daily. The 18 categories per constituency include, among others, Boodaboda riders, taxi operators, market vendors, shoemakers, performing artists, journalists, carpenters, welders, and the fishing communities. Another category of youth leaders and people with disabilities who cannot access loans from commercial banks and local elected leaders from LC 1 to LC 5 have also been included. He said the Kabale district with 52 SACCOs received Shs. 2.2 billion, Rubanda with 32 SACCOs (Shs. 1.64 billion), Kisoro with 17 SACCOs (Shs. 3.46 billion), Kanungu with 36 SACCOs (Shs. 1.84 billion), Rukiga with 18 SACCOs (Shs. 740 million), and Rukungiri with 54 SACCOs (Shs. 2.5 billion). All these have been prepared to receive additional seed capital of Shs. 20 million that is sent every financial year. Although the Minister decried defaulters in the program, SACCOs are progressing well in their saving culture to the tune of Shs. 2.52 billion realized as savings. They include Kabale (Shs. 206 million), Rubanda (Shs. 421 million), Kisoro (Shs. 1.1 billion), Kanungu (Shs. 337 million), Rukiga (47 million), and Rukungiri (Shs. 360 million). 'I'm happy to report that the Emyooga program in the Kigezi sub region has been a success, and beneficiaries have utilized their funds well in lending and showcasing impressive products and services,' Minister Kasolo noted, adding that his ministry has carried out capacity building in areas of mindset change, basic records management, cooperative governance, loan management, enterprise selection, planning and management of finances, and also resource mobilization through savings to ensure proper management of the program countrywide. Some of the best-performing SACCOs in the Kigezi sub region include: Bufumbira North elected local leaders Emyooga SACCO, Kabale Municipality Women Entrepreneurs' SACCO, Bufumbira East women entrepreneurs SACCO, Kisoro municipality restaurant owners SACCO, Kabale municipality tailoring Emyooga SACCO, Bukimbiri youth leaders SACCOs, Ndorwa East wilders SACCO, Ndorwa East women entrepreneurs SACCO, Kabale municipality local leaders SACCO, and Kinkizi East women entrepreneurs SACCO. To ensure transparency and recovery of funds from borrowers, Hon. Kasolo informed the meeting that they have partnered with local radio stations that are equipped with lists of beneficiaries and defaulters to remind Ugandans of their obligation to pay back. In other reports, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, presented the status of the road infrastructure in the Kigezi sub region, highlighting the national roads connecting the region under his ministry and the district roads managed by the district's local governments with funding from the central government. He assured the leaders that all the road projects previously under the defunct Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) will continue, such as the road from Kabale connecting to Lake Bunyonyi and Kisoro-Mgahinga Road, whose construction is expected to kick off at the end of this month. The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, and the Permanent Secretary, MAAIF, Major General David Kasura Kyomukama, also presented a paper on the government policy on agriculture. The Minister of State for Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives (Industry), who is also Ndorwa County West MP David Bahati, presented a report on the status of the health sector in the Kigezi sub region on behalf of Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng. The meeting was attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, NRM leaders, local government leaders, among others. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.
Zawya
13-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Uganda: President Museveni Calls for Establishment of an Egg Processing Factory
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that the government will establish a processing factory to add value to eggs in order to strengthen the economy, improve nutrition and food security. According to the President, the volume of eggs is increasing yet the market is not enough, and instead of selling them raw, which are often consumed locally, processing them in the form of powder and liquid will fetch higher prices locally and internationally. 'We need to establish factories to process these eggs into products such as baby foods and nutritional foods to feed the elderly and the sick for the whole country and also for export,' he said. The President made the remarks on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, while visiting Ms. Akampurira Evas, a poultry farmer and beneficiary of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Bubare trading center, Bubare sub county in Rubanda county east, Rubanda district. President Museveni, who is in the Kigezi sub region on the assessment tour of the PDM and wealth creation programs, said whether boiled, scrambled, or mixed with chapati, commonly known as Rolex, cannot be exported, but once properly processed and packed, it can even attract international markets, like is the case with the dairy industry. 'My people in Nyabushozi started milking a lot of milk—5.3 billion liters per year, yet Ugandans can only consume 800 million liters. What we did was process the milk into different forms and pack it, and now we are exporting to countries like Nigeria, Algeria, and the rest. This is what we want to do with the eggs and the pigs,' he explained. Speaking to the residents, the President reminded the Kigezi people that the only medicine to poverty is intensive agriculture by using their small portions of land but going for products with high returns under the 4 acre model and the recommended seven activities, which include one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), another one for food crops for the family (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for dairy cattle (about 8 of them). On top of this, one can add on poultry for eggs in the backyard, piggery and fish farming. 'This is what we have been preaching since 1996, but the people don't care,' the President noted, adding that the government has been introducing support programs starting with Entandikwa, the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), but people did not pay attention, thus failing to get out poverty. 'We started hearing complaints that our soldiers under OWC are mismanaging the OWC program by extending support to their relatives. We now introduced the PDM and said, Let's send you the money directly through your parish saccos by giving you shs. 100 million each year. I want to thank you for using this money very well to get out of poverty. Please continue,' President Museveni stated. He also urged that demanding roads, electricity, and hospitals may not necessarily solve their household income problems, saying that the government can provide tarmac roads, extend electricity, schools, and hospitals, among other infrastructure, but it cannot create wealth for every household. 'Whenever you return home, you will find poverty waiting and warmly welcome you back. So, please, seek first household incomes, and the rest will be added unto you,' the President said. On her part, Ms. Akampurira welcomed President Museveni to her home and expressed gratitude for the PDM program, which she said has changed her life. 'I heard the president in 2022 when he was launching the PDM to get Ugandans out of poverty. I also said I want to benefit from this money. I started preparing myself by constructing a poultry house,' she narrated. In September 2023, Ms. Akampurira received shs. 1 million, which later became shs. 990,000 after deduction of bank charge of shs. 10,000. She later spent shs. 375,000 and bought 50 young birds of chicken each at shs. 7500. She used the balance to buy chicken feed and drinking materials. 'After 3 months, I sold each at shs.35,000 and got shs. 750,000 as profits. I later bought 100 layer chicks at shs.3500 each, and in 5 months I started collecting eggs,' Akampulira said, adding that after selling off the grown-up layers, she counted shs. 7,950,000 million as profits. She later added on piggery and sells each pig at shs. 800,000. 'This PDM has really worked for me because I'm selling chicken, eggs, and chicken manure, and I'm now able to pay school fees for my children, some of whom had sat home. Those who got money for the PDM and know what to do must now be rich,' she informed the President. The Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Ariganyira Musasizi, informed President Museveni that over shs. 14 billion has been distributed to the SACCOs in 70 parishes of Rubanda. Hon. Musasizi, who is also a Member of Parliament for Rubanda East constituency, said the commissioned Mirama-Kabale high-voltage power line will facilitate industrialization in the region. He also engaged President Museveni on the identification of potential investors who can establish an iron ore factory in the region. The ceremony was also attended by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, Ministers, Members of Parliament, officials from the PDM Secretariat, and district leaders. While in Kigezi, the President will visit several PDM beneficiaries, hold a live media interaction, and address public rallies in the sub-region. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.
Zawya
31-01-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Government to prioritise debt management and economic growth
Government will prioritise debt management, domestic revenue mobilisation, and economic transformation in the next financial year. This revelation was made by the State Minister for Finance (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, while justifying the motion on the National Budget Framework Paper for Financial Years 2025/26- 2029/20. Musasizi revealed that the preliminary resource envelope stands at Shs57.44 trillion and that this financial year marks the first implementation phase of the National Development Plan IV which aims to increase household incomes, fully monetise the economy and enhance employment for sustainable socio-economic transformation. He underscored that focus would be placed on agro-industrialisation, tourism, minerals, science and technology, alongside critical enablers such as defence, security, electricity, strategic roads, and the Parish Development Model. He reassured the House that no new taxes would be introduced but that efforts would be directed towards improving efficiency in tax administration. The Vice Chairperson of the Budget Committee, Hon. Remegio Achia who presented the report emphasised that the budget framework paper seeks to strengthen Uganda's economic resilience while ensuring social development. He noted that while economic growth is projected at 6.4 per cent, the burden of debt remains a concern. "We must strike a balance between financing critical infrastructure and maintaining a sustainable debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio," he said. Uganda's total public debt currently stands at Shs94.9 trillion as of June 2024, with debt servicing consuming nearly a third of domestic revenue. To address this, Achia said the government has set a domestic revenue target of Shs33.68 trillion up from Shs31.98 trillion in the current financial year. Accordingly, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) will intensify tax compliance measures, including expanding the tax base and enforcing digital tax systems such as the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS). Achia stressed the importance of ensuring that resources are utilised efficiently. "Our priority must be value for money. Every shilling spent must yield tangible results for the Ugandan people," he said warning that wasteful expenditure and corruption in public institutions must be addressed to maintain fiscal discipline. To prevent excessive borrowing, the government has reduced domestic borrowing from Shs8.97 trillion to Shs4.01 trillion. However, external financing is set to increase to Shs12.81 trillion to support key projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Programme. Achia acknowledged the inconsistencies between the Budget Framework Paper and the National Development Plan IV stating that sector priorities must be realigned to ensure effective resource utilisation. "There is a need to align sectoral priorities with our development plan to ensure that resources are utilised effectively for Uganda's long-term progress," he said. Achia observed that frequent supplementary budget requests, often arising from unplanned expenditures, create fiscal imbalances and hinder long-term planning. "We need to strengthen budget discipline to avoid excessive reliance on supplementary requests that disrupt the implementation of key development projects," he noted. Kira Municipality MP, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda who presented a minority report criticised the budget's priorities, arguing that non-essential expenditures have been prioritised while critical areas are underfunded. "Donations in this budget amount to Shs159 billion, fuel costs stand at Shs355 billion, special meals and drinks at Shs298 billion, and welfare and entertainment at Shs139 billion. This is where the government has placed its priorities," he said. He further condemned the government for allocating only Shs200 billion to clear domestic arrears, including unpaid pensions and gratuities. "Payment of domestic arrears should be a top priority in next year's budget," he argued. Other MPs raised concerns about the government's ability to raise the required revenue. Sheema South Representative, Hon. Elijah Mushemeza questioned the feasibility of realising Shs57 trillion in revenue when such figures have never been achieved in previous years. "We have never realised Shs57 trillion in the last five financial years. What assurance can you give us that this time around you will?" he asked. Hoima East Division MP, Hon. Patrick Isingoma questioned why the budget had not prioritised funding for the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) machine needed for cancer detection and treatment. "This machine is only available in Nairobi, where a single round costs US$1,500. Most people go to India for treatment because we lack this facility," he lamented. The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi urged the government to take domestic arrears more seriously, noting that they now exceed Shs14.6 trillion. He also criticised the government's for failing to compensate victims of the Kiteezi landfill disaster. Commenting on alleged luxury spending, Musasizi clarified that money provided for the army, police, and Uganda prisons are not luxury spending. 'Shs1.1 trillion is medical clothing for medical workers; we have an item of clothing under Parliamentary Commission for protocol people, we have Shs900 million for Uganda Revenue Authority and this is attire for tax collectors, under Ministry of health, shs900 million for medics and nurse's uniforms,' he said. The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa urged the government to consider the minority report and cost tax proposals to guide the budget. He also suggested that the minister clearly indicate which budget proposals would be implemented. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
