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The opposition in Parliament has expressed concern over the wastage expenditure in the recently passed UGX 72 trillion national budget, citing examples of unnecessary spending on vehicles and fuel for senior government officials.
Ibrahim Ssemujju, the Shadow Minister for Finance, noted that the processing of the 2024/25 annual budget has been chaotic, with contradictory figures presented by the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija. Ssemujju wondered if the budget was prepared by a senior three commerce student, given the confusion and inconsistencies in the documents presented to Parliament.
The opposition identified wasteful expenditure worth UGX 5.485 trillion that should be removed from the budget, but their appeal was rejected by Parliament. Ssemujju cited examples of unnecessary spending, including vehicles and fuel for senior government officials, such as former leaders who have already benefited from free brand new limousines.
The opposition also expressed concern over the growing public debt, which now stands at UGX 97.499 trillion, with plans to borrow an additional UGX 25 trillion to finance the next budget. Ssemujju noted that the public debt has become a big burden to the economy and threatens the very existence of Uganda as a sovereign state.
Parliament passed the UGX 72.130 trillion national budget, with the payment of Uganda’s public debt commanding the lion’s share of over UGX 34.017 trillion. The Mineral Development sector is the least funded, with only UGX 41.6 billion allocated to it.
The opposition has called for significant reductions in the country’s public debt, which now stands at 52.7% of the GDP. They have also urged Parliament to reject any measures that seek to grow the public debt.
In a minority report on the 2024/25 Appropriation Bill, the opposition noted that the budget does not address the critical issues facing the country, including poverty, unemployment, and inequality. They have called for a more inclusive and sustainable budget that prioritizes the needs of all Ugandans.