Parliament has announced that it will soon hold accounting officers accountable for failing to act on the recommendations outlined in the Auditor General’s report. This was revealed by Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, during the receipt of the Auditor General’s Report for the 2023/2024 financial year.
Tayebwa emphasized that accounting officers who neglect to implement the Auditor General’s recommendations will face repercussions during the budgeting process. He stressed the need for action, saying, "We cannot continue sitting idly while recommendations are ignored."
To ensure accountability, Tayebwa mentioned that sectoral committee chairpersons would be given guidance on how to hold these officers responsible for their actions.
Additionally, Tayebwa called on the Auditor General, Edward Akol, to investigate claims of corruption in the procurement of audit opinions in local governments. “We need to address this corruption head-on, especially in local councils where there are reports of money being used to purchase audit opinions,” Tayebwa remarked.
Akol, in his presentation, highlighted several critical findings from the report, including concerns about low budget absorption. Despite an allocated budget of Shs 64.1 trillion, only Shs 47 trillion was utilized, leading to a significant shortfall. He noted that 47% of activities across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies were fully implemented, while 51% were partially implemented, and 2% were not implemented at all.
Another concern raised by Akol was the sustainability of Uganda’s pension system, which faces mounting liabilities projected to exceed Shs 4.5 trillion annually by 2034 if not addressed. He pointed out several factors contributing to this pressure, including early retirement policies and higher pay for science professionals.
Regarding the Parish Development Model (PDM), Akol reported that household data collection was at 79.9%, and population registration stood at just 46.3%. He also flagged an issue where Shs 41.7 billion was disbursed outside the official PDM management system, violating established guidelines.
As Uganda works towards implementing its Fourth National Development Plan (NDPIV), Akol stressed the importance of strengthening the medium-term debt management strategy to ensure sustainable growth.
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