UPDF gets Shs 64 billion for operations in DRC

Parliament has approved Shs152 billion to facilitate the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) offensive operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Karamoja sub region.

Shs 64.5 billion of the approved total Shs 152 billion, will facilitate UPDF to flush out the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants in DRC in the ongoing joint operation with the country’s armed forces (FARDC) codenamed “Operation Shujaa” while Shs 87.5 billion will be spent to pacify Karamoja sub region in a disarmament exercise, code named "Usalama Kwa Wote" loosely translated to mean "Peace for All."

This is part of the Shs 617.9 billion supplementary budget that Parliament approved during the plenary sitting on Thursday.

The Minister of State for Finance (General Duties), Henry Musasizi, said that supplementary expenditure which is coming barely a month to the new financial year has been warranted by expenditure pressures from 10 votes to cater for salary shortfalls, emerging security concerns and other critical activities.

He assured the House of the guaranteed source of funding.

"This supplementary will be funded in two ways: Shs510.3 billion will be financed by additional [domestic] borrowing, while Shs107.6 billion will be funded by additional local revenue and external financing," Musasizi said.

Part of the approved supplementary expenditure [Shs77billion] has been allocated to State House for classified expenditure, while Shs86.3 billion has been allocated to the Office of the President to cater for external financing from EXIM Bank for the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation Skills Enhance Project.

Shs 25 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Works and Transport to facilitate works on security roads in Karamoja region, while Shs 251.7 billion will go to meet wage shortfalls under various central and local government.

Musasizi, said the wage shortfalls resulted from unforeseen recruitments from the executive.

"We passed the current budget on 31 May 2021 and it became operational in July. However, on 8th of June 2021, the president appointed ministers and among the ministers he appointed some were ex officio members. He also appointed presidential advisors, RDCS and made promotions in the army among others. All these were not envisaged in the current budget," Musasizi said.