Parliamentary committees present 2008/9 budgets

The parliamentary sessional committees have presented their reports on the national budget frame work for the financial year 2008/2009 the budget committee for review. The recommendations will be given to the president for review in the new budget.

However, ministry of works and transport had the biggest number of critical recommendations that the committee on physical infrastructure want to be addressed in the budgetary allocations.

The parliamentary budget committee is receiving reports from the various sessional committees on the national budget framework for the financial year 2008/2009.

The chairman of the physical infrastructure committee, Nathan Byanyima reports that the committee is concerned over insufficient funding of the ministry of works and transport.

He reports that though there has been an increase of funds by 79.5 billion in the ministry, it remains under funded. In the financial year 2008/2009, the ministry of works and transport has a funding gap of 100.8 billion shillings.

The ministry also has payment arrears of 30.1 billion shillings for accumulated domestic arrear accrued from delayed payments of contracts, and another 24 billion on State house Entebbe .

However, the committee is concerned that despite the high costs of road construction, maintenance has been ignored.

The committee recommends that the fuel levy that was introduced to replace the abolished road license is remitted to the ministry to avail it funds for the road fund. The Fuel levy reportedly generated 201 billion shillings in revenue.

The committee also demanded that the ministry demolishes all structures put up in the road reserves to reduce on the huge costs accumulated from settling compensation charges.

The reports will be scrutinized by the budget committee and then presented to the president for approval and the recommendations forwarded to the finance ministry.