Ministers, MPs shun Budget reading at Kololo

By Francis Lubega

15^th June 2023

A number of Ministers and Members of Parliament have shunned a special setting for the reading of the National Budget for the Financial Year 2023/24.

The Finance Minister Matia Kasaija came to present the Shs52.74 Trillion budget at a function held at Kololo Ceremonial grounds on Thursday.

The low attendance has inked the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among who registered her disappointment on the continuous absenteeism of ministers and MPs in the house which behavior affects service delivery.

In her speech before the reading of the Budget Speech Speaker Among also raised challenges in the coming financial year budget informing President Yoweri Museveni who has attended virtually that local governments have been allocated insufficient funds that may affect service delivery.

She noted the need of widening the tax base, reducing domestic borrowing, addressing PDM challenges, and paying off the accumulating domestic arrears among others.

Speaker Among also raised concern over the high unit cost of implementing infrastructure like the roads and electricity projects which affects the country’s expenditure.

Meanwhile, before the Budget Speech Parliament conveyed its sympathy to the President and wished him quick recovery to President Museveni who is currently under self isolation over covid-19 and quickly condemned those she called opportunists who are circulating messages that the president was in critical condition in the ICU.