Government to recover UGX 2.2Bn erroneously sent to China

By; Kurunda Biziwan

11^th March 2020

The State Minister of Finance for Planning David Bahati has assured Parliament that government will recover Shs 2.2 billion that was erroneously sent to China to support Ugandan students stuck in Wuhan following a coronavirus outbreak.

Bahati confirmed media reports that on February 28, 2020, the Finance Ministry transferred USD 600,000 to the Uganda mission in Beijing to support the affected students instead of USD 60,000.

This follows a matter of national importance raised by Ayivu County Member of Parliament Bernard Atiku questioning whether the transaction was not a syndicate to defraud tax payers’ money.

In response, Bahati dismissed the claims by Atiku stating that it was a technical error by officials in the Finance ministry and that the accountant of the Ugandan Embassy in Beijing, China, has already been directed to return the $538,200.

Following the coronavirus outbreak, many countries including Uganda decided not to repatriate their students in China for fear of spreading the disease. Instead, they decided to support them financially from wherever they are in China.

Uganda is said to have at least 800 students in China with 105 in Wuhan and according to the Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng on February 13, 2020 told parliament that government had signed a cheque of approximately UGX 220 million that was going to be wired to cater for the students welfare in Wuhan instead of repatriating them in fear of spreading the deadly COVID -19.