Beti Olive Kamya-Turwomwe
16 June 2008
opinion
Am I excited about the increased budget from Shs3.7 trillion last year to Shs5.8 trillion this financial year? Well, is Uganda's problem lack of money or its management? I know of humble people, living modest lives who, with their low incomes have built their own homes, baptised, confirmed, educated and married off their children, buried their dead, nursed their sick and generally done everything that an ordinary Ugandan does - and have no debts.
I also know of "rich" people who live grandly and extravagantly but don't own a home, are perpetually in debt and should calamity befall them, their families would need support for the month's rent never mind arrears. Ugandans think "more money..." always solves problems and so we always scream "more money for agriculture, health, education...".
Dr Suruma's 2008/9 budget seems to say "there now, I have put in the budget all the money you ever wanted, let's see what else you'll say...." and I say, without focusing on improving management of the funds, they will be squandered the same way previous budgets have been squandered.
Wasn't Shs256 billion for Chogm a lot of money? What do we have to show for it but potholed roads, useless-overpriced vehicles, empty hotel rooms and a corruption scandal in Parliament?
Wasn't $11million enough for the AGOA project? What do we have to show for it except vandalised Coffee Marketing Board premises and 1,000 no-longer employed, most-likely-no-longer-virgin "AGOA girls".
What about all the money that should have been received out of the sale of our industries, where is it, what did it do? Wasn't Shs600 million Entandikwa scheme, where millions of shillings were given to supporters of President Museveni to do business good money?
Are they better off than non supporters who did not get it? What is there to show for it? Weren't billions of shillings spent to import drugs for Aids patients? Now I hear National Drug Authority or National
Medical Stores need Shs800 million to destroy the expired drugs!
As Ugandans know, the list of wastage, pillage and loss of public resources through corruption, inefficiency and incompetence is endless.
No matter how big and impressive Dr Suruma's budget maybe, unless Ugandans can address its management by being able to call on the managers of public resources to account to them, it will remain one useless budget speech after another, except for the corrupt officials who have access to the funds.
What is to stop the newly budgeted funds finding their way round the Disposal and Procurement of Public Asset (DPPA) regulations just like the Shs2.9 billion paid to Kampala Associated Advocates to prosecute Dr Besigye did, just like the Shs20 billion paid to Basajjabalaba, or like the Chogm vehicles money did?
Everybody who's been around long enough knows that it is already time to prepare for the next election and that a lot of money will find its way to election- related activities, just like billions of shillings found their way out of microfinance funds in the 2005/6 budget to carefully selected women's Nigina groups under the supervision of former vice-president Specioza Wandera Kazibwe.
Oh! Hon. Jim Muhwezi did hint too, that a lot of Global Fund money found its way to carefully selected activities targeting the 2006 election campaigns. I will not be surprised if there is increased "training" at Kyankwanzi and Masindi; if there are many people dressed in military wear - that being the Kyankwanzi graduation gown; and if there are more kibokos and kanyamas squads around town, participating in "enforcing law and order"
Big budgets are good but only if they offer value for money.
I am sure Uganda will ably spend the near double 2008/9 budget and even require supplementary funding. I am equally sure that most of the money will be squandered because the squanderers are still around, with the same motivation, style, supervision and assurance of impunity as has been all these years.
The old English adage that if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, is as true as ever, Dr Suruma.
Ms Kamya is MP Rubaga North
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