His excellency Arthur Baliruno will have to look for extra pocket change elsewhere since the Members of Parliament of Uganda Christian University have recently passed budget cut on the president’s travel allowances.
The guild external trip allowance that was budgeted at Shs8 million was cut off the final budget that was submitted to the university top administration for approval after the guild failed to raise money to finance particular guild activities.
This is not the first time the Guild President’s trip allowances are cut off the budget, the precedent was set by the MPs in Blessed Murungi’s government in 2014.
The Guild President’s external trip allowances was cut and re-allocated to finance the electoral commission budget that needs over Shs32 million that includes conducting the forth-coming February elections.
However, the Finance Minister Osbert Nuwandinda, said the Guild President’s allowances for external trip was not cut in bad faith noting that allowances were cut across board ranging from MPs, Ministers to the guild president.
Nuwandinda revealed that the communication allowances of the cabinet ministers were cut from Shs60, 000 to Shs50,000 to cater for guild activities, noting that the entire Guild trip budget too was cut from Shs30 million to Shs15 million.
“The parliament did not cut the external trip allowances of the guild president, but because of urgent guild activities that are meant to benefit the students, we opted to cut some allowances to fund these activities,” Nuwandinda said.
The activities that needed urgent funding according to the Finance Minister include, buying dust bins, furnishing the guild board room and procuring an extension tent for the dining hall to cater for the September semester when the population is too bit to be accommodated in the D.H.
Nuwandinda however regrets the cutting of the guild president’s external trip arguing that UCU as a university will miss out on the programs that the guild president would lobby for while e on his trip.
“Though the MPs insisted on completely scrapping the guild external trip fund, we are going to miss out a lot and I think the administration should re-think the whole concept because this trip helps in lobbying for programs that help the university,” Nuwandinda.
When contacted the Guild President Arthur Baliruno said, he has no cry over the external trip allowances as long as it was re-allocated for a genuine cause that benefits the university and the students body.
He further explained that his core goal is to carry out activities and projects that benefit the students rather than looking at his personal gains.
“My allowances were cut but it was not a bad idea because I feel good if that is used for the betterment of university services like adding street lights to the campus,” Baliruno said.
The Minister of information, George Komunda, said the Guild’s budget was the first to be approved however there was need to reduce and cutting funding of certain items from all budgets in order to raise funds to conduct the February elections.
Komunda also revealed that apart from the Guild President’s allowances, funding to other activities like intercourse competitions have too been scrapped off the budget.
Speaking to us Emmanuel Mukama MP Public Administration said there was no way the guild could fund all activities due to limited funds noting that they had no option but cut the external trip allowance.
Mukama noted that the parliament had to prioritise the activities to be funded to avoid having a deficit budget, “We didn’t scrap off any one’s allowances but government does not have enough funds for all the projects. If we were to follow all items we would have a deficit,” Mukama said.
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