Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has recommended for a cut on the Presidential budget meant for donations to increase funding to Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to enable construction of laboratories countrywide.
The party noted that there is registered increase in production and importation of counterfeit products in the country which is as a result of lack of enough laboratories to test the products to suit the set standards.
Speaking to journalists during the party’s weekly press briefing in Najjanankumbi, the FDC Deputy Spokesperson and Jinja East MP, Paul Mwiru said that it is time government considered reducing money from the Presidential donations to cater for the desired laboratories.
Mwiru said that UNBS requested for over Shs 400bn to construct laboratories across Uganda in the next financial year but government through the Ministry of Finance has only allocated Shs 6 billion.
“According to UNBS statistics as provided before Parliament committee recently, 54% of the products produced and imported in the country are counterfeit. This is due to lack of enough inspections which is as a result of lack of laboratories,” Mwiru said.
Mwiru suggested that government cuts the budget for the Presidential pledges and donations of Shs136 billion per year and allocate part of that money to construction of laboratories.
“If trade is to go on like that for a period of 5 years, that would mean that Museveni will give out more than Shs 780 billion in donations forgetting that the money he is giving out is raised from people as taxes to his government to plan for people,” Mwiru noted.
“We believe that the question of standards must be addressed since it has an impact on the health budget which has been demonstrated by the current outbreaks such as cancers in the country attributed to the fake products consumed.”
He added that counterfeit products have an effect on the economy since people will be spending alot of money on buying products that don’t last for long.
The issue of the Presidential donations has for a long time been subject of debate attracting criticism from the opposition who say the President wastes too much of tax payers’ money in handouts at the expense of service delivery.