{UAH} Speaker’s budget rises to Shs 2.2bn -guys you see why ugandans are wallowing in poverty?/
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Speaker's budget rises to Shs 2.2bn
Written by Deo Walusimbi
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga in her office The office bills of Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga are set to climb by Shs 300m to Shs 2.2bn next financial year, budget papers indicate.
The speaker's office was allocated Shs 1.9bn during the 2014/15 financial year. The rise to Shs 2.2bn in the 2015/16 financial year has raised eyebrows, with civil society organizations complaining about the ever-rising cost of public administration.
A review of the speaker's budgets over three fiscal years (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16) shows a steady rise in spending. The speaker spent Shs 1.5bn in 2013/14, Shs 1.9bn in 2014/15, and is set to spend Shs 2.2bn in 2015/16.
Cissy Kagaba, the head of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda and a member of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group, told The Observer last week that Kadaga's budget increment shines a bright light on how costly public administration has become.
"The bigger picture is that the cost of public administration is gradually increasing and it's affecting the poor Ugandans," Kagaba said, adding that, "that is why as civil society we have told the government to cut the cost of public administration."
She said whereas public administration is increasingly costly, it's hardly productive.
"Look at the number of MPs and the money they earn vis-à-vis their output, then ask yourself do we need all of them?" Kagaba asked.
"Just imagine what that [extra] Shs 300m can do to teachers and nurses in this country, but it's spent on just one speaker, and she's not the only one with an increment…," she added.
Asked to comment on the speaker's budget, Ranny Ismail, Kadaga's spokesperson, explained on April 25 that inflation and special events were responsible for the increase. Ismail cited the hosting of fellow speakers, which has been budgeted at Shs 140m.
"As parliament begins every year, we invite speakers [of parliament] from all East African countries," she said, "so that is why the speaker's budget increased because we provide them with security, transport, accommodation, etc., as they do when the speaker travels to their countries."
The speaker is to spend Shs 2.2bn on the following:
| ITEM | AMOUNT |
|
|
|
| Air tickets | Shs 102.7m |
| Out-of-pocket allowances | Shs 388m |
| Vehicle maintenance | Shs 370m |
| Fuel and oils | Shs 312m |
| Per diem and other staff | Shs 282m |
| Office imprest | Shs 42m |
| Airtime for official calls | Shs 6.7m |
| Domestic servants' allowances | Shs 26.5m |
| Dry cleaning the speaker's attire | Shs1.6m |
| Electricity bills | Shs 3.6m |
| Hosting fellow speakers | Shs 140m |
| Office cutlery and utensils | Shs 4m |
| Office refreshments | Shs 14m |
| Newspapers and magazines | Shs 23.6m |
| Hosting Muslim MPs, staff, leaders | Shs 75m |
| Per diem to attend short courses | Shs 105m |
| Photocopier scheduled servicing | Shs 4.5m |
| Printing, stationery, photocopying and binding | Shs 40.1m |
| Computer supplies and IT services | Shs 42.2m |
| Telephone and fax expenses | Shs 4.8m |
| Souvenirs, media space in Monitor and Vision | Shs 36m |
| Wind masks for speaker's escorts, uniforms | Shs 9m |
| Wreaths | Shs 2.4m |
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