By Robert Edwomu
AMURIA
Amuria district local government last year 2022 failed to spend UGX (4,375,826,413) billion part of it meant for the construction of the UGFIT projects of Upgrading Abeko and Golokwara HCII’s to HCIII’s.
The unspent balance at the end of the financial year 2021/2022 was subsequently sent back to the consolidated fund account in June according to the Auditor General Financial statements.
Amuria district had a budget of UGX.(32,688,127,068bn) of which UGX. (29,579,581,338bn) was received but only Shs 25,203,754,925 was spent leaving a balance of 4 billion unspent.
Moses Ochole, the district councilor for Abia Sub County attributed the failure to absorb the funds to weakness of the political head to ensure the budget is implemented accordingly.
Ochole notes that as councilors, they played their mandate to pass the budget but errors portray weak administration from the district executive to ensure that the accounting officer implements the budget together with heads of departments.
Moses Emabu, the LCV Chairperson says the 1.2 billion meant for Health centers construction was sent back because of the varying communications from the center which suggested having the Army Construction Brigade take up the constructions.
He consents that those communications delayed the processes and by the time they were allowed to source the contractors, the financial year was approaching closure.
Emabu however revealed that the Ministry has promised to revoke the funds following last week’s meeting in Kyankwanzi where the same complaints emerged from other district chairpersons.
In the report of the Auditor General on the financial statements of Amuria district local government for the year ended 30th June, 2022, the Accounting Officer explained that this was due to failure to absorb funds for construction of the UGFIT projects of Upgrading Abeko and Golokwara HCII to HCIII.
He argues that Management has written to the Ministry of Finance to revoke UGIFT funds sent back in June.
