Parliament debates bill intended to reduce powers of MPs

Parliament is now discussing Public finance bill 2012. The Youth MP for western Uganda Gerald Karuhanga has proposed the scrapping of the clause of certificate of financial implication if a bill is to be tabled on the floor Parliament for the first reading., Nathan Nandala suggested that the oil money to come to the consolidated fund account and not special fund account for oil money as envisaged in the bill.

Agago District Woman MP Judith franca Akello complained that they raised the issue of the volume and amendments by the minister but it doesnt reflect in the committee report.

The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga says she will not allow the delay of the discussion of the public finance bill 2012.

But the bill needsto be fine tuned because if it is passed in its current form it will not act as a safeguard to Uganda’s financial administration.

The bill intends to scrap the budget office of parliament, the budget office has been of a relevance because many legislators are naive of the budgetary processes but because the budget office has technocrats on budgeting they empower MPs on budget and also the bill intends to reduce more powers of legislature over budget oversight and passing which will give executive sweeping powers to abuse the budget like justifying endless suplemntaries etc.