The Ugandan government has said it needs an extra 158 billion shillings (96 million U.S. dollars) as an emergency expenditure to finance programs of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Kampala.
Ezra Suruma, the Minister of Finance, told a closed door meeting of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus that the government was in dire need of the money.
"This is an emergency that requires additional funding for activities of CHOGM 2007," state-owned New Vision quoted Suruma as telling over 200 MPs including President Yoweri Museveni.
According to him, the government was in need of 117.8 billion shillings (71.4 million dollars), over and above the 55 billion shillings (33.3 million dollars) it had budgeted this financial year, to spend on preparations for the summit.
He said this amount excludes 45.07 billion shillings (27.3 million dollars) the government needs to fund road repairs and improvements.
He said there was need for Parliament to accelerate the release of 14 billion shillings (8.5 million dollars) for the redevelopment of State House, a figure that would extend the total amount of money that the government requires to a staggering 158.5 billion shillings.
As a solution, Suruma proposed to slash the budget of other ministries and government departments by 4.82 percent in order to raise adequate funds for the summit.
"During the debate, all MPs expressed disappointment as to whether proper planning had been done all these years.
"We agreed that he (the minister) should go back and break up the figures to see the priority areas," New Vision quoted one legislator, who preferred anonymity, as saying.
Kabakumba Masiko, Government Chief Whip, said the Caucus shall reach a compromise on Monday next week.
The President, according to the source, said CHOGM was a priority. He, however, agreed that the foreign affairs ministry should provide a detailed breakdown before the Caucus approved the expenditure.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article