Government announced 50% cut on Parliament’s budget

The 50% budget cut was revealed today as the State Minister of Finance Hon Henry Musasizi presented to the house the budget estimates for the upcoming financial year.

Speaker Among and other MPs described the cut as “disrespectful, humiliating and demeaning” to the Legislature.

She wondered how the house was to run its business with such funding cuts.

“Our deduction of 50%, shall we be paid salary?” she said.

“You even have the courtesy to put it in bold, on a statutory vote that Parliament shouldn’t get money."

Minister Henry Musasizi pulse uganda

It is understood that other self-accounting institutions suffered big budget cuts as well.

The Judiciary, for instance, refused to submit its budget for tabling in the House today after learning that the Ministry of Finance's Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) Ramadhan Ggoobi imposed a tight budget ceiling well below their budget estimates.

Hon Fox Odoi said the PSST must be reigned in not to impose this budget cut on the Parliamentary Commission.

Hon Sarah Opendi on the other hand claimed that while appearing on NBS TV this morning, Ggoobi said that Parliament has no power of budgeting and that this is an Executive function.

“He said Parliament has no powers to move money from one vote to another because budgeting for this country isn’t our responsibility. That it is the Executive that knows the priority of this country. So, what is our role as Parliament?,” she said.

The development comes at the time Parliament has been in the spotlight over corruption and wasteful expenditures, although, it isn't known whether Finance's decision was informed by findings from these social media allegations.

The 2024/2025 budget estimates as presented by Hon Musasizi currently stands at Ugx 58,340,852,552,130.

The budget is expected to be passed by the House in May.