{UAH} State House asks for extra Shs23b-this is how the thieves still money. now they have included th 6b handshake
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Shortfall. State House has requested for additional Shs23 billion to cater for utilities, insurance, classified expenditure, travel in-land and travel abroad. FILE PHOTO
Parliament. State House has written to Finance ministry seeking Shs23b in supplementary funding barely two months to the end of the Financial Year.
In a May 3 letter to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, Privatisation minister Evelyn Anite wrote asking the House to bless the request.
Sources in Ms Kadaga's office told Sunday Monitor that since the request for supplementary funding seeks to finance items of "emergency nature", in the coming days, the Speaker would guide the Leader of Government Business on how to proceed before she sends the request to the House Budget Committee.
"In addition, two supplementary requests have been received…vote 002 State House, Shs23 billion to cater for a shortfall on utilities, insurance, classified expenditure, travel in-land and travel abroad…," reads the letter in part.
The new supplementary request, shared between State House and Mbarara University, totals to shs26.4 billion. Ms Anite, proceeding under the Public Finance and Management Act, 2015, wrote to Speaker in the capacity of the Finance Minister since she was holding the fort.
The minister declined to comment on account that her letter was not meant for the press.
Section 25 of the PFMA 2015 requires any supplementary request beyond three per cent of the approved budget to have prior approval by Parliament. However, where the expenditure is below three per cent, then, the government spends and seeks retrospective authority.
In the Financial Year 2016/2017, State House under Vote 002 was allocated Shs257.29 billion.
Ms Anite's request is an addendum to a March 27 letter by Secretary to Treasury Keith Muhakanizi to the Clerk to Parliament, asking for Shs212 billion in supplementary funding for 2016/17 Financial Year.
For instance, Shs11.3 billion is needed to finance travel in-land and a Shs5 billion in classified expenditure.
Shs4.1 billion is for travel abroad under President's globe-trotting and overseas engagements.
Under utilities, State House also needs Shs614 million for telecommunications, Shs219 million for electricity and Shs365 million for water.
In a previous supplementary request, whose approval is being sought retrospectively because it falls within the 3 per cent threshold, State House took Shs2.9 billion.
The new request indicates that an additional Shs200 million was spent by State House in donation to Isingiro Fruit factory as initial capital.
The latest additional request now brings the new total of supplementary requiring prior Parliamentary approval to Shs238 billion.
Senior presidential press secretary Don Innocent Wanyama said: "The law allows the MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) to ask for a supplementary."
Mr Wanyama, however, declined to divulge further specifics of State House expenditure, asking this newspaper to ask the Ministry of Finance to provide the details.
State House explains
When contacted at the weekend, State House Comptroller Lucy Nakyobe also defended the request as reasonable, saying "it is intended to fund unforeseen expenditure in the budget.'
"During the year, we planned as usual, but there are many other things which came up like the Makerere University Visitation Committee which we are supposed to fund, and we had more travels abroad," adding that "we had many more activities requiring international relations."
She added; "The President has had many travels in-land for sensitising the population for social economic transformation and wealth creation."
When asked to provide context, Ms Nakyobe said part of the money has already been committed in debts.
"Some of it we have already committed in debts, but not all and that is why we are seeking for Parliament approval," Ms Nakyobe said.
She further explained that State House "carried forward utilities for the last Financial Year."
Asked whether the Ministry of Finance is in position to find the money for State House amid budget shortfall and budget cuts in the next Financial Year budget, spokesperson Jim Mugunga said: "It is not an issue of whether we have the money or not, we will definitely wait for Parliament, the Ministry of Finance fulfilled the requirements of the law and the onus is on Parliament to determine the matter on its own merit."
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