The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Among has urged accounting officers in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to ensure proper expenditure of the 2022/2023 budget.
Parliament approved the Shs48.1 trillion budget for the financial year 2022/2023 on 20 May 2022.
“All eligible accounting officers should ensure that value for money in whatever expenditure is as per the approved budget. They should be accountable for all resources brought under their charge in line with article 164 of the constitution,” Among said.
She made the remarks in her communication during the sitting of the House where the budget was presented by the Finance Minister at the Kololo Independence Grounds on 14 June 2022.
Among reiterated their commitment of the 11th Parliament’s oversight role of examining the economy’s efficiency and development in relation to the expenditure of public funds.
She said that the budget reading process offers the citizens an opportunity to know government priorities of the next financial year.
“It informs us of how the desired revenue will be raised and a basis upon which implementing authorities shall be held responsible,” said Among.
She also directed lawmakers to spend the next two weeks in their constituencies monitoring the implementation and preparatory activities of the Parish Development Model (PDM), to ensure its success.
In the 2022/2023 financial year budget, every parish has been allocated Shs100 million under the PDM to improve household income.
“A lot of money has been channeled to your constituencies and it is only upon the leadership to ensure the success of that money,” she said.
Among also outlined the business of the Second Session of the 11th Parliament, saying that the first meeting will be dedicated to consideration of bills while the second meeting will focus on handling of reports, motions and petitions, and the third meeting will consider the budget process.
“This time around, we must start the budget process early,” Among said.
She added that, ‘I therefore, urge the Executive to table the Bills enumerated in the State of the Nation Address so that they can be handled expeditiously. I also want to remind the chairpersons of committees to ensure that these Bills are presented in the House as soon as possible’.
The Budget Speech is a constitutional mandate under Article 155 (1), which states that, ‘the President shall cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament in each financial year, but in any case, not later than the 15th day, before the commencement of the financial year, estimates of revenue and expenditure of the government for the next financial year’.