The Ministry of Finance has presented a Supplementary Appropriation Bill to Parliament requesting an additional Shs4.4 trillion to cover extra expenses for the 2021/2022 fiscal year.
The Minister of Finance (General Duties, Hon. Henry Musasizi tabled the request accompanied by a Certificate of Financial Implication during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 10 May 2023.
According to the appropriation request, the funds will be drawn from the Consolidated Fund under the Public Finance Management Act 2015 and are intended to be used for both the first and second quarters of the fiscal year.
Under recurrent expenditure, Shs620 billion will be allocated to the Ministry of Defence, UPDF land forces and the Air Force.
Shs193 billion will go towards salaries, wages and other expenditures under the State House.
Additionally, Shs50 billion will go to the Ministry of Education for salaries, Shs134 billion to the Ministry of Health, Shs35 billion for salaries under the Electoral Commission, and Shs228 billion under Treasury Operations for salaries, wages, and other expenses.
Shs100 billion will be for recurrent expenditure under the Uganda Police Force, and Shs28.7 billion for Internal Security Organisation among others.
The Speaker Anita Among who presided over the House referred the bill to the Committee on Budget for further scrutiny.
Among also said that government needs to come up with a clear policy on what items can be spent under the threshold of three percent of the approved budget.
The minister is obliged to seek prior parliamentary approval for any additional expenditure above the limit.
“You should bring an amendment, a law that clearly states what the three will be used for. We need to pass the three percent, and give a condition that we should bring a law which defines under what circumstances that government can use the three percent,” she said.