KAMPALA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking for Shs2b to beef up the headquarters security in preparation for any eventuality because of the heightened security risks from Uganda’s neighbours.
The details of the funding are contained in the report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the ministerial policy statement for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2019/2020.
While presenting the report on the floor of Parliament, Hood Katuramu, Chairperson Foreign Affairs Committee said that due to heightened security risks around the region in general and the country in particular, the MOFA building is not adequately secured and a budgetary requirement of Sh2.5b is required to provide security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters building.
However, the funds have not been catered for because the Ministry’s development budget has remained to the level of last FY2018/19 and the Committee recommended having an additional Shs2.5b be provided to cater for security installation for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarter building.
The committee also warned government against committing the country into international organisations and limit the subscriptions to organisations that are beneficial to the country and also asked the Ministry of Finance to clear the outstanding arrears to-date and promptly clear the annual subscriptions to these organisations to protect Uganda’s image and interests abroad, and to ensure Uganda participates fully in deliberations of these organisations.
This was after MPs raised concerns that the continued failure to meet Uganda’s subscription obligations to International Organisations not only erodes the Country’s stature on the international arena) but may limit the country’s participation in activities organised by those organisations besides posing the risk of penalties.
This was after the Foreign Affairs Committee was told that payments to international organisations has been allocated Shs50Bn yet the funds aren’t adequate to cater for arrears and the pay the current contributions because paying up fully on contributions to international organizations requires Shs.25b annually.
The report noted that as much as Shs50b has been allocated for payment of arrears there is no allocation for the continued annual subscription and this will lead to accruing of more arrears and in order to achieve this, the Shs50b allocated should be maintained, in the subsequent budgets to clear the outstanding arrears and cater for annual subscriptions.