In light of Uganda’s recent leadership role in the Non-Aligned Movement, the nation’s Finance Ministry has recommended an additional allocation of UGX 1.49 billion for the Ugandan Embassy in Geneva. This budget augmentation is intended to rectify a deficit caused by the diminution of poundage fees.
This extra funding is a segment of the proposed UGX 288.624 billion supplementary budget. “The embassy is in urgent need of resources to clear pending payments, including rent, staff remunerations, health insurance, and utility bills. These obligations must be fulfilled before the fiscal year concludes to prevent potential lawsuits from property owners, utility companies, and contractual employees. The allocation for these expenses will come from the surplus generated from payroll revisions post the wage bill audit,” articulated Henry Musasizi, the State Minister for Finance.
Minister Musasizi further cautioned that failure to sanction this budget could result in financial penalties for the embassy stationed in Geneva.
He added, “The budgetary increment is a direct consequence of Uganda’s new responsibilities as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement. The funding for this will be derived from the payroll savings identified during the wage bill audit.”
The supplementary budget is set to be financed by the payroll savings, which amounted to UGX 3.99 billion following a governmental payroll audit. Additionally, withdrawals from the Petroleum Fund, totaling UGX 284.634 billion, are slated to support the activities outlined in the supplementary agenda.
In January, Uganda had the honor of hosting the 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala. The event, spanning five days, convened more than 120 world leaders, focusing on the theme of ‘Enhancing Mutual Prosperity through Global Collaboration’.