Members of Parliament have expressed strong opposition to the Ministry of Finance’s decision to reduce their budget by Shs145 billion for the upcoming financial year.
The proposed cut would lower the Parliament’s budget to Shs833.495 billion, a sharp decrease from the current Shs978.570 billion.
“We are not pleased with the decision to cut our budget,” stated one of the Commissioners of Parliament.
“The reduction of Shs145 billion should be rectified by uplifting the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). We recommend that Shs145 billion be provided to restore the Parliamentary Commission’s budget to the current operating level.”
In addition to restoring the budget, MPs are demanding an extra Shs78.694 billion to address a shortfall in the development budget.
This funding would cover several essential expenses, including:
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- Shs27.946 billion for the ongoing construction of the new Parliamentary Chambers, ensuring the project is completed on schedule.
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- Shs25.8 billion for the purchase of vehicles, including light vehicles for political offices and 28-seater vans for committee oversight activities.
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- Shs10.769 billion for upgrading office equipment to enhance operational efficiency.
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- Shs10 billion for the architectural design of a new office block on Parliamentary Avenue.
Additionally, the Parliamentary Commission is requesting Shs12.12 billion for ICT hardware infrastructure and the e-Parliament Project.
Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has also voiced her concerns over the budget cut, calling it “humiliating and demeaning” to the Legislature.
