Speaker Anita Among has directed the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to lay before the House, the National Budget Framework Paper for Financial Year 2023/2024 by 15 December 2022.
This, she said, will give Members of Parliament sufficient time to study the Budget Framework Paper and commit it to the relevant committees before the recess.
According to Section 9(5) of the Public Finance Management Act, the Minister of Finance is required to table the Budget Framework Paper for the next financial year, by 31 December.
“The timely tabling of this document will give us time to study it early. The Shadow Minister for Finance will give a response to what has been presented so that we refer it to the committee early enough,” Among said.
She warned that the House would not receive the Budget Framework Paper on the final day, alluding to previous financial years when documents are tabled late.
“You find a tendency by the Finance Ministry of extracting wrong figures and sending them to institutions, different from what Parliament has appropriated,” the Speaker said.
“We must study this budget for at least a week before we approve it. We are not going to rubber stamp anything,” Among added.
She also directed that any corrigenda to the Budget Framework Paper should be presented timely.
Parliamentary Commissioner, Hon. Solomon Silwany asked on Parliament to task the Finance Minister to make a commitment on the floor of the House that the Budget Framework Paper will be delivered early.
“We need to scrutinize the budget and pick the country’s priorities so that we can do a thorough job,” said Silwany.
State Minister for Privatization, Hon. Evelyn Anite committed to table the Budget Framework Paper for financial 2023/2024 before 15 December 2022.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Source: Apo-Opa
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