By Mulengera Reporters
Govt has confirmed our Saturday story which profiled the 87 MDAs that are to be affected in the impending to reorganization of govt to strengthen service delivery. At a news conference this morning at Media Center, Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze confirmed to reporters that a total of 153 government agencies had been subjected to a rigorous review which resulted into some being either merged or mainstreamed back to mother miniseries. Some few have been retained as they are. More details can be accessed in our Saturday story titled “Anxiety grips govt employees as list of 87 agencies to be scrapped leaks.” (It can be reached on www.mulengeranews.com) For today’s press conference, Tumwebaze came with a group of govt officials including Public Service Ministry PS Catherine Musingwire Birakwate who disclosed that doing away with the affected 87 agencies will free up to Shs10.8trn (of the total budget of Shs29trn) they have been taking up. She said the affected agencies have annually been taking up 37% (Shs10.8trn) of the national budget. She said this comprises of what they have been spending on wage bill, rent & other operational costs. Just like Tumwebaze, Catherine Musingwire admitted that many are going to lose jobs as a result of what she technically called rightsizing of govt. The two emphasized the overall objective is to enhance service delivery & that the resultant benefits will mitigate the detriment resulting from the mass job losses.
Tumwebaze arrayed fears of those going to lose jobs saying that the Shs988bn that will instantly be saved in the short run (annually) will result into more new jobs being created in especially local govts which haven’t been able to recruit staff because of funding inadequacies. Musingwire also said the freed money (in billions) will be used to enhance salaries of some mainstream public service employees whose salaries have been too low causing rampant strikes. Whereas those qualified will, upon interview, be absorbed in mother ministries and in merged agencies, Tumwebaze said its high time employees became flexible and prepared to work in hitherto despised places eg local govts upcountry. He said this will even prompt investors to begin investing in decent accommodation facilities upcountry. Musingwire supported him saying in any case, the govt standing orders require govt employees to be redesignated from time to time. She said those to be laid off will be given their full redundancy benefits as provided for in the law. She said the good thing top agency CEOs have already been used to working on contract terms of three years just like is the case for other ministry administrative officers like Permanent Secretaries & Under Secretaries. She said some of the affected agency employees who qualify will be appointed as Commissioners to head departments in ministries where their agencies are to be mainstreamed. Tumwebaze, authoritatively communicating a cabinet position voted upon during yesterday Monday meeting, said the new changes will take effect and commence as soon the necessary changes in the relevant laws are made. He said this won’t take long since Parliament too has been calling for rationalization of govt departments. It was clarified it won’t be automatic for people to keep their jobs in the new arrangement. Only those who are qualified and have gone through the process will be taken on board. For comments, call, text or whatsApp us on 0703164755.
