KAMPALA – Parliament has okayed the request by Ministry of Education and Sports to boost the Security of exams in the country, by increasing the budget for Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) by Shs11b.
The details are contained in the Parliament has passed the Appropriation Bill 2020 contained budget estimated for the 2020/21 national budget that put the total expenditure at Shs45.4T
Part of the funds will be used for purchase of specialized machinery and equipment at Shs4.50b and the funds will specifically cater for the purchase of the counting, wrapping and labelling machine for efficiency benefits and minimising exam leakages.
The Exam body also intends to purchase specialized Machinery and Equipment at Shs6.50b with the funds meant for the
purchase of security printer for certificates and slips.
The remaining Shs4.10 will go towards the purchase of specialized Machinery and equipment for purchase of IT security solution for certificate.
However, it isn’t only UNEB that received boost in its budget but also the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory that is running a Shs108b project over a five year period to establish the DNA database intended to not only improve national security and criminal identification but, will also eliminate massive arrests, in many instances innocent people that lead to congestion in prisons and the associated costs of feeding them.
MPs okayed the additional Shs5b for the construction of a DNA data bank that will help resolve many problems associated unit.
Parliament also approved Shs5b for Foreign intelligence collection to the External Security Organisation on grounds that the move will provide timely and reliable external intelligence and to counter external security threat and the measure would involve deployment in atleast six more foreign stations.
Parliamentary Commission also benefitted from the Bonanza, seeing it’s budget boosted to Shs5.05b to cater for the activities of the committee set up to coordinate the full participation of Uganda at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija thanked MPs for working tirelessly to pass the budget in these circumstances but warned the mps that the budget will be subject to changes in case circumstances in the country change track.
Parliament was informed during the Interaction with the Ministry of
Finance, Planning and Economic Development that various sectors will be affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic, more so, Tourism Industry which is the major source of Foreign exchange earnings.
The Budget Strategr for next FY is anchored on the Third National Development Plan (NDPIII) and the theme remains ‘Industrialization for Job Creation and Shared Prosperity’.
The budget will focus on accelerating the pace of industrialization, scientific research and innovation in the critical sectors of agriculture, minerals, tourism and manufacturing. This will significantly support exports, import- substitution, jobs and ongoing poverty alleviation efforts.
The other focus will be on investment in infrastructure for production, trade and social services delivery, including prioritization of the maintenance of the existing stock of public infrastructure; and Continued investment in human capital development to hasten
demographic transition and the reaJization of the demographic dividends.
