Govt releases sh26.9b to facilitate agency mergers

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KAMPALA - The Government has released sh26.9b for rationalising particular entities after President Yoweri Museveni signed into law 19 enacted Bills on July 15, 2024.

“The President has assented to 19 Bills to rationalise particular entities and sh26.9b has been provided to facilitate this process,” Ramathan Ggoobi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, informed all government accounting officers on Thursday.

This was during a meeting with all accounting officers of government over the financial year 2024/25 budget at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.

The new laws are: The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Uganda Wildlife Authority (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council (Repeal) Act, 2024; The Agricultural Chemicals (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2024, and The Children (Amendment) Act, 2024.

Others are The National Youth Council (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Act, 2024; The National Women’s Council (Amendment) Act, 2024; The National Council for Older Persons (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2024; The National Library (Amendment) Act, 2024; The National Planning Authority (Amendment) Act, 2024, and The National Population Council (Repeal) Act, 2024.

There is also: The Physical Planning (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Tax Procedures Code (Amendment) Act, 2024; The Stamp Duty (Amendment) Act, 2024, and The Income Tax (Amendment) Act 2024.

By giving his assent to these enacted Bills, Museveni gave effect to the cabinet policy of rationalising government agencies and public expenditure to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery.

One of the new laws gives the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) a mandate to conduct civil marriages.

The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Act, 2024, which transfers the administration of marriage function from the URSB to NIRA to consolidate the registration of all natural persons from birth, identification, marriage and death under one agency.

The Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2024 returns the mandate of the National Bureau of the Non-Governmental Organisations back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, like it was the case before it was created in 2016.

Sh1 trillion to be saved

Museveni said on February 2, 2024, that the government would save sh1 trillion every year in rationalising its agencies.

“When we talk of rationalisation, we are talking of, first of all, doing things which are rational and save money,” he said while meeting the ruling party MPs at State House, Entebbe.

He stated that during rationalization, the whole structure of the government should be geared to support the wealth creators since they are vital in the development of the country.

The spiralling cost of public administration has soared from a little over sh465b in the 2001/2002 financial year to now sh3 trillion.