Ministry of Finance Tables UGX 292 Bn Supplementary Request

The Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development wants an additional UGX292.394 Billion to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and support the economy.      

This is the fourth supplementary requested by the Ministry since Parliament approved the UGX45.5 trillion budget for the Financial year 2020/2021.

The requests for UGX94.32 billion, 86.597 and UGX111.477 billion were tabled separately by the Finance Minister in charge of Planning David Bahati and are now before the Budget Committee for scrutiny.       

According to the breakdown, UGX18.5 billion will go to the Ministry of Health to cater for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, additional UGX34.7 billion shillings will go to Health to cater for transport equipment, medical supplies, construction of two blood banks and the construction of four border health posts. 

UGX56.5 billion is for the Electoral Commission to pay for Biometric machines that were used in the elections, demarcation of polling stations, and elections of elderly persons’ MPs.  UGX10.46bilion is needed for the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) for the management of examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.      

UGX12.87 billion will be channeled towards the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund -NUSAF through the Office of the Prime Minister, UGX10.18 Billion to Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development to cater for unspent external financing for the financial year 2019/2020 for activities implemented under the Resource Enhancement and Accountability program (REAP).         

UGX7.65 Billion of this money will go to the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development to cater for land compensation and 12.11 billion for land compensation as per the Presidential directive. Others are; UGX2.27 Billion will go to State House for the Anti tick Vaccine development initiative including the establishment of the Ngoma field tick farm, and laboratory restructuring.       

UGX11.251 billion is needed for the compensation of Tobacco farmers in Bunyoro sub region under the Ministry of Trade, UGX0.66 Billion for Uganda Cancer Institute and Uganda Heart Institute, and UGX1.28 billion to cater for payment of outstanding payments to Ms ROKO construction limited for services rendered to the two institutions.     

Others are UGX0.57 billion to the National Forestry Authority to cater for external financing remitted to the consolidated fund but was not spent by the end of the financial year and UGX0.79 billion to cater for the COVID-19 activities funds that were remitted to the consolidated funds.      

Additionally; UGX8.434 Billion will go to the Ministry of Education for outstanding recurrent administrative costs under Mandela National Station given its designation as COVID-19 treatment center (UGX1.451 billion) and payment to service providers under the skills development project at 6.983 Billion.    

The Ministry of Health also requires an additional UGX42.8 billion of which UGX16.32 billion will be for face masks for the remaining 37 local Governments, UGX26 billion for debt on face masks, and UGX0.48 billion for mask distribution.   UGX1.88 billion is required for the Petroleum Authority, UGX25 Billion for Ministry of Finance and UGX10 billion for Ministry of Works to procure locomotives for Uganda Railway.    

Ministry of Works will require UGX10 Billion for the Procurement of locomotives for Uganda Railway and UGX26 billion for (World Bank) counterpart financing for service delivery through Local Governments.