By Mulengera Reporters
The government’s finances, like a river struggling to reach its full flow, faced significant challenges in the 2023/2024 financial year. According to the Auditor General’s report, while the government planned an initial budget of UGX 52.7 trillion, the figure was revised upward to UGX 61.7 trillion to accommodate supplementary budgets.
Yet, despite these adjustments, cracks in revenue collection and expenditure management emerged, revealing a UGX 9.13 trillion shortfall.
The report points to underperformance across the board. Of the UGX 50.17 trillion warranted for spending, only UGX 48.68 trillion was utilized. This 3% underperformance may seem small on paper but represents UGX 1.49 trillion left unutilized in a country where citizens yearn for better service delivery.
Proverbs remind us, “A stitch in time saves nine,” yet delays in procurement processes and project implementation amplified the inefficiencies.
Examining planned activities paints an even bleaker picture. The Auditor General reviewed 1,028 outputs worth UGX 6.83 trillion from 98 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Only 47% of these were fully implemented, while 51% were partially done. A negligible 2% were abandoned altogether, but even this small figure translates to UGX 97 billion wasted on incomplete or ignored projects.
Local governments fared slightly better, completing 69% of their targets. However, 28% of their projects stagnated midway, while 3% were completely abandoned.
Examples of these delays abound. Construction projects in four local governments worth UGX 3.96 billion were completed but remain unused.
Forty-five other projects worth UGX 52.39 billion faced delays stretching between two and 32 months. In the words of an old saying, [A delayed promise is like a broken one], and for citizens relying on these projects for improved infrastructure and services, the delays are deeply felt.
Beyond implementation, the Auditor General flagged irregularities in supplementary funding. Twenty local governments received UGX 164.5 billion in supplementary allocations, but UGX 45.33 billion was never approved by the respective councils, breaching financial regulations.
Similarly, 38 local governments received UGX 233.94 billion in supplementary funds, yet over half of this, UGX 131.08 billion was not requested by their accounting officers. Such lapses point to systemic weaknesses in budget oversight and accountability.
The repercussions of these inefficiencies ripple across the nation. Underutilized budgets and abandoned projects mean that roads remain unbuilt, hospitals unequipped, and schools understaffed.
The Auditor General has urged the government to tighten its processes, ensure timely funding, and adhere strictly to financial regulations to bridge these gaps. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
