CSOs want gov't to table National Development Plan III ahead of 2021 election

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) has raised concerns over the government's plans to implement next financial year's budget without a draft of the five-year third National Development Plan.

Addressing the media over the weekend, Julius Mukunda the executive director of CSBAG said they are worried that this year's planning may be distorted.

"They must account to us why they have failed to produce national development plan in time. Secondly parliament must demand the National Development Plan III otherwise the national budget framework paper does not adhere to the law,"he said.

He also expressed his fear projecting that the 2021 elections could be the most expensive in the history of Uganda.

Agnes Kirabo, the executive director Food Rights Alliance said lack of development plan to guide appropriation of the budget along with lack of laws that limit campaign funding may lead to too much spending.

"The dilemma of planning to spend without having a systematic plan is that we are actually going to divert funds to the major activity. Ugandans should know that the major activity of for the year 2020 /2021 is going to be elections,"she said.

"It is not clear how much funding we have set aside to spend on elections in our planning framework but also secondly we don't have a National Development Plan ready to hold those accountable,"she said.