The Minister of Finance, Henry Musasizi, has urged Members of the 12th Parliament to play an active and effective role in Uganda’s budget process to promote transparency, accountability and value for money in public spending.
Speaking during the induction of newly elected MPs at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Wednesday, Minister Musasizi outlined seven key responsibilities of Parliament in the national budget cycle.
These include approving the Budget Framework Paper, scrutinizing ministerial policy statements, appropriating funds, enacting tax legislation, reviewing budget performance reports, considering audit reports, and monitoring the utilization of public funds in their constituencies.
The minister said the government has introduced several public finance management reforms aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Among the reforms are the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), Programme-Based Budgeting, e-cash and electronic payments, e-government procurement, the Single Treasury Account, and the decentralization of salary and pension management.
Musasizi also explained that Uganda’s national budget is financed through tax revenue, non-tax revenue, external grants, external loans and domestic borrowing.
Describing the budget as the country’s most powerful development tool, he emphasized that Parliament’s constitutional role in shaping the national budget is critical to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
He further encouraged MPs to make effective use of Auditor General and Public Accounts Committee reports by following up on their recommendations and ensuring corrective measures are implemented through Treasury Memoranda.
The minister also called on legislators to actively participate in the Local Government budget consultations for the 2027/28 financial year, which are scheduled to begin in September 2026.
Earlier, Pamela Mbabazi, Chairperson of the National Planning Authority, presented Uganda Vision 2040, highlighting the link between the national vision, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the government’s tenfold growth strategy aimed at expanding Uganda’s economy to USD 500 billion by 2040.
She noted that Parliament has a central role in delivering the country’s long-term development agenda.
