By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has issued a Certificate of Financial Implication on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
The Certificate was issued this morning, 9th March, 2023 enabling the first reading of the Bill is this afternoon.
“The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 has been reviewed in accordance with S.76 of the Public Finance and Management Act, 2015 as amended,” reads the intro of the Certificate.
On Tuesday, 7th, March 2023, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa was unable to table the Bill for first reading because the Ministry of Finance had not granted him the Certificate of Financial Implication as required.
The processing of the Bill commenced last Tuesday after the Bugiri Municipality MP, Mr Basalirwa, was granted leave to undertake due process. It was, thereafter, contained in the gazette last Friday and was expected that the Ministry of Finance had accorded Mr Basalirwa a certificate of Financial Implication which would, therefore, allow for the next process of tabling for first reading but this didn’t happen.
The absence of the said certificate compelled the mover, Basalirwa to task government officials to come clear on whether it was in full support of the Bill or not.
“The front bench of the government takes a clear stand on this matter and comes out clearly. Are they willing and ready to avail the certificate or not? They must take a stand, otherwise if they don’t take a stand, then an impression will be created that all of us here are condoning homosexuality,” Mr Basalirwa said.
He, therefore, suggested: “Moving forward, we should begin a campaign where we shall be putting a book to register those against homosexuality so that the country clearly knows those against this moral wrong.”
Before a formal response on government position would be furnished to Mr Basalirwa, the government Chief Whip, Mr Hamson Obua, defended the Ministry of Finance delayed process of availing the Certificate of Financial Implication.
The representative of the Minister of Finance, Mr Matia Kasaija, in Tuesday’s plenary session, the State Minister of Finance in charge of investment, Ms Evelyn Anite, pledged that the Certificate of Financial Implication would be available on Thursday.
“The minister of Finance has asked me to communicate to the House that it will [table] the Certificate of Financial Implication on the [Anti-] Homosexuality Bill on Thursday,” Ms Anite said.
