The Minister of State for General Duties, Henry Musasizi, has called on Uganda’s central and local government planners to focus on critical areas of government programming while strengthening efforts to combat budget mismanagement.
Minister Musasizi made the remarks on Thursday evening as he closed a meeting between the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED) and all heads of Planning Units at Speke Resort in Kampala.
The meeting was convened to deliberate on challenges affecting the planning and budgeting function across government, following a recent session with accounting officers on budget execution for the 2025/26 financial year.
Minister Musasizi urged planners to direct resources toward priority initiatives, including the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Enablers programs under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) agenda.
He also emphasized the need for planners to support government efforts in tackling corruption, mischarges, supplementary budgets, and other related fiscal irregularities.
“I want to urge you to be useful planners, planners who are relevant,” Minister Musasizi said, stressing the importance of professionalizing the planning cadre.
On behalf of planners, Mugulusi Gideon, Chairperson of the Planners Union, highlighted challenges facing the sector, including technical capacity gaps, salary disparities, financial and logistical constraints, and inadequate planning structures.
In response, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, assured planners that Ministry of Finance is working to address these concerns.
He noted that gaps in skills, tools, and resources would be filled and that salaries would be enhanced gradually.
The meeting signals government’s renewed focus on aligning planning functions with key national priorities and improving the efficiency of public financial management.
