A tense standoff unfolded on March 4, 2025, between Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi and Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as they debated concerns over financial mismanagement in government.
The session, focused on reviewing the Auditor General’s report for the 2023/24 financial year, saw Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi openly criticize Ggoobi, accusing him of failing to address budgetary indiscipline despite earlier promises of reform.
“When you took office, your vision for fiscal discipline gave us hope. But four years down the line, the reality has worsened. To Ugandans, this is a clear case of financial mismanagement,” Kivumbi stated.
The Auditor General’s findings revealed a troubling pattern: while Parliament had approved a UGX 52 trillion budget, the government later sought an additional UGX 8 trillion in supplementary funds. However, the Ministry of Finance only released UGX 50 trillion, raising questions about transparency in budget implementation.
Kivumbi condemned what he described as erratic financial planning, arguing, “You allocate less than what was approved and still return with requests for more. That is a sign of poor budget discipline.”
Visibly displeased, Ggoobi interrupted the discussion, objecting to the phrasing of Kivumbi’s remarks.
“I must push back on this choice of words. We are working diligently to improve fiscal management, and dismissing these efforts as indiscipline is unfair,” he responded.
His reaction, however, was met with disapproval from MPs, including Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu, who questioned whether Ggoobi was overstepping his role.
“A witness should not be dictating how a parliamentary session is conducted. Is it appropriate for him to challenge the authority of the committee in this manner?” Ssewungu asked.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa reinforced the committee’s position, stating, “It is the role of the Chairperson to determine whether language used in this discussion is acceptable. We should all respect that.”
Despite Ggoobi’s protest, Kivumbi stood firm.“With his expertise in Economics, he understands that ‘budget indiscipline’ is a well-defined concept. If I were to ask him to define it academically, I am confident his response would align with what we are witnessing,” he asserted.
Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi shifted part of the blame to Parliament, highlighting the need for legal reforms to curb financial mismanagement. She noted that discretionary spending under the Public Finance Management Act had contributed to recurring budgetary inconsistencies.
“If we are serious about fiscal accountability, we must amend the Public Finance Management Act. The provision allowing a 3% discretionary margin has been exploited, and Parliament has done little to address it,” Opendi argued.
Defending the Finance Ministry’s actions, Ggoobi acknowledged the challenges but maintained that supplementary budgets were sometimes unavoidable.
“It is unrealistic to expect zero supplementary budget requests. Emergencies and unforeseen expenditures arise. This does not mean we are disregarding fiscal discipline it is part of managing government finances,” he explained.
He admitted that some financial gaps stemmed from inadequate planning but assured MPs that steps were being taken to improve budget efficiency.
“We are working on better forecasting to reduce reliance on supplementary funding. Our commitment to financial discipline remains strong, and we welcome Parliament’s oversight in improving this process,” Ggoobi concluded.
The heated exchange underscored ongoing concerns over Uganda’s financial management, with both Parliament and the Treasury acknowledging the need for stronger reforms to enhance fiscal accountability.
