MASINDI RETURNS OVER 2 BILLION SHILINGS TO CONSOLIDATED FUND AMIDST POOR SERVICE DELIVERY
This comes at the backdrop of a poor ranking of the district in the recent rating of local government performance in the country by the ministry of local governments.
By Our Reporter
MASINDI: The leaders of Masindi district are struggling to explain the circumstances under which over Shs2.8 billion was returned to the consolidated fund after failing to utilise it during the 2022/2023 financial year.
This comes at the backdrop of a poor ranking of the district in the recent rating of local government performance in the country by the ministry of local governments.
Cosmas Byaruhanga, the district chairperson says the district was unable to spend a total of Shs2, 841,339,100 during the financial year that ended on June 30 2023.
Records indicate the money that was returned to the consolidated fund includes Shs 155 million for pension shs 396 million for gratuity, over shs 1 billion meant for salary plus shs 1.1billion for capital development.
Byaruhanga explains that the money for capital development was meant for the construction of Kijunjubwa and Pakanyi Secondary Schools, but it was not utilised. He is however optimistic that the money would be re-sent to the district.
The chairperson however acknowledges that it wasn’t good to return money to the consolidated fund, noting that it affected the service delivery in the district.
On her side, Pamela Nyakato, the district secretary for finance, planning, and administration, says the salary money that was returned to the consolidate fund was for the district employees who never turned up for the public servant validation exercise and their salaries couldn’t be paid to them.
Nyakato adds that the gratuity money couldn’t also be paid because the pensioners’ files were not prepared in time.
Nyakato also claims that the district had received more money for the wages than its wage bill and they could not spend it.
It is common for the districts in Uganda to return money to the consolidated fund after failing to utilise in the preceding financial year.
This recently compelled president Museveni to order the ministry of finance to start resending the money back to the districts in the new financial year after failing to utilise it in the preceding financial year.
What is being waited is whether this directive will be implemented.
Do you have a story about your community or an opinion to share with us? Email us at theugreports@gmail.com.
