Parliament passes Shs 3.7 trillion supplementary budget amidst opposition
Parliament has passed a supplementary budget of Shs 3.7 trillion with a warning to government not to alter the original appropriation by Parliament as a source funding to this supplementary.
The supplementary budget was passed amidst resistance from both opposition and some NRM legislators, some of whom wanted to know why government was asking for more money, months after the first budget was passed.
Of the Shs 3.7 trillion, Shs 1.2trillion has been allocated to the Ministry of Defence and Veterans to cater for mainly classified development expenditure, while Shs 2.4 billion will be given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the movement of new officers abroad.
In the same supplementary budget Shs 451 billion has been allocated to State House of which Shs 400 billion is for classified expenditure and Shs 1 billion for scientists developing the Anti-tick vaccine.
The Electoral Commission has been given an additional Shs 50 billion; Uganda Police Force Shs 30 billion, Uganda Prisons Service Shs 10 billion; Shs 100 billion for NAADS and Shs 10 billion is for the various local governments.
The National Medical Stores will take Shs 50 billion; the Ministry of Finance Shs 95.6 billion; Shs 50 billion will be given to the Ministry of Energy while the Ministry of Justice has been allocated Shs 30 billion.
However, the Shs 220 billion that was allocated to the Ministry of Works and Transport to facilitate the construction of the roads in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo met serious resistance from both NRM and opposition legislators who wanted to know the details of the MoU between the two countries.
Also the Shs 50 billion that was allocated to the Ministry of Health to procure face masks generated a serious debate as legislators questioned the accountability of the first Shs 82 billion that was meant for the same purpose.
The MPs however agreed to allocate an additional Shs 89.3 billion to the ministry of Health to help in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 disease.
The Speaker sent the House into recess and it will resume in November this year to continue with other business.
