The Parliamentary Budget Committee chaired by Bulambuli County MP Wamakuyu Mudimi has rejected the proposal of the Finance committee to appropriate funds for the Presidential Initiatives on Banana industrial development (PIBID). The Chairperson of the finance committee Robert Kasule Sebunya had been appearing before the Budget committee which is scrutinizing the budget requesting MPs on the budget committee to approve the funds for this initiative to cater for staff payment and other activities.This is the second time parliament is suspending the funds on the presidential initiatives on Banana Industrial development; Last Financial year 2014/15 the budget committees refused to approve sh10b, which the Government had allocated to the banana initiative in the budget. The committee chaired by Ntenjeru north county’s Amos Lugolobi noted with strong concern that the patent rights of PIBID are registered in the individual names of the executive director yet the initiative is 100% funded from the taxpayers’ money. The MPs says before allocating another fund all the requirements ranging from administrative issues this should be sorted out before any money is approved.
The Chairperson of Finance Committee also, Kyadondo North MP Robert Kasule Sebunya, says that members of parliament should reconsider their position over this project and approve the fund to help on the banana industry.