By Ambrose Wanagoli
BUTALEJA
Butaleja Local District Government is ending back Shs900M to the Consolidated Fund having failed to utilize it within the 2023/24 Financial Year.
This was revealed by the Michael Higenyi, the LCV Chairman during the passing of the district budget for FY2024/25 on Thursday, 23rd May, 2024 at the District’s Health Board Room.
Higenyi says the Shs900Million remained unused because of delays in procurement and delayed releases of money by the Central government.
He says this money was meant to build Kayiti Senior Secondary Seed School and renovation of Butaleja secondary school, respectively.
He also warned the district Technical officers against swindling district funds in disguise that procurement was complicated.
Higenyi threatened to influence the transfer of such embezzlers or termination from service, adding that he can’t imagine losing his seat because of pampering such wrong doers.
Meanwhile, Butaleja’s district councillors approved the district budget for FY2024/2025.
The budget was read by Joseph Owor, vice chairman of the district as well the Minister of Finance and Administration.
According to Mr. Owor, the district will operate at a cost of Shs47B of which Shs33B will be collected locally, central government will support the district with 12 billion and the rest will come from donors.
He said that the budget will majorly dwel on improving education standard (construction of schools), payment of salaries, health (construction or renovation of health centres), road rehabilitation, and Agriculture, including boosting small scale irrigation systems due to climate change in Butaleja district.
The finance minister, however, cited some challenges in relation to the previous budget of 2023/2024.
He decried the underfunding of district boards hence never served Butaleja as expected, some incompetent contractors were granted services, which has resulted in failing to meet the deadline, then the outbreak of pests and diseases which have affected crops and animals. A case in point is the foot and mouth disease that has kept Butaleja in quarantine up to date.
Fred Mukasa, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), said that the budget approval was timely and boasted that most of the projects planned for, in the FY 2023/2024 were completed.
Mukasa, however, regretted the construction of Budumba Health centre III, which was halted pending the intervention of the solicitor general and complained about the delays in the procurement to advertise contracts; but vowed to effect supervision to avoid having some money returned to the treasury, unused.
Butaleja’s Resident district commissioner (RDC) Hajirah Namagogwe, thanked the council for having balanced the allocation of funds in all the sectors.
She also suggested that all lazy contractors who exceed the deadline be blacklisted.
Also in the council meeting, the committee of PAC, chaired by Conelias Mwima, then others: Peter Guloba, Emmanuel Mutange, and Betty Hamba, was introduced.
Conelias Mwima(PAC chairman), vowed to squeeze the corrupt officers in Butaleja district indiscriminately.
