The Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) has questioned officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over Shs1.3 billion paid to officials at seven Ugandan diplomatic missions for travel within their countries of posting at rates meant for foreign travel.
The query was raised during a committee meeting chaired by Patrick Oshabe on Wednesday, with MPs questioning why officials travelling locally within their countries of posting were paid rates applicable to international travel.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Vincent Bagiire, told the committee that the ministry had sought guidance from the Ministry of Public Service to allow it to use foreign travel rates in major cities abroad, arguing that Uganda’s domestic travel rates were inadequate.
“We did write to the Ministry of Public Service to approve rates of travel abroad for capitals such as Washington, DC,” Bagiire said.
He said applying Uganda’s domestic travel rates to officials travelling between cities in countries such as the United States would be impractical because accommodation and other expenses are significantly higher.
“It is not practical for us to say we shall use the local travel rates,” he said, citing travel between Washington, DC, and cities such as Seattle.
Bagiire, however, said the Ministry of Public Service had not responded to the request.
Oshabe directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide documentary evidence showing that it had formally sought clearance to use foreign travel rates for local movements by officials in their countries of posting.
The committee also scrutinised the ministry’s handling of domestic arrears and discrepancies in its financial records.
Samia Bugwe Central County MP Richard Wanyama questioned why the Ministry of Defence had made a payment to international organisations on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The committee was told that the Ministry of Defence paid $2.76 million towards Uganda’s financial obligations to the African Union.
Bagiire said the payment was necessary because of Uganda’s participation in the African Union Commission Summit and the ministry’s outstanding obligations.
He said the ministry had considered seeking supplementary funding but feared the process would delay the payment, prompting funds to be sourced from the Ministry of Defence.
“These international organisations are very critical to the country’s foreign policy framework,” Bagiire said.
The committee was also informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires more than Shs25 billion annually to meet its subscriptions to international organisations and prevent the accumulation of arrears.
Elgon County MP Wamakuyu Mudiimi further raised concerns over discrepancies in the ministry’s financial records, noting that the financial statements reported Shs81 billion in contributions to international organisations, while the Board of Survey indicated Shs83 billion.
The ministry’s Head of Accounts, Mubaraka Nsambas, attributed the difference to verification of the figures.
“The figure we captured in the financial statements is what was verified. What is in the Board of Survey was not verified,” Nsambas said.
The explanation prompted further scrutiny from MPs and the Auditor General’s representative, who told the committee that the Board of Survey was prepared by the Accountant General in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
