NATIONAL BUDGET TELEPATHY: THE BUDGET BRIEFCASE. The press reports that Sundays ministerial reshuffle saw a new person heading the Finance Ministry. So as we say goodbye to Mrs. Maria Kiwanuka, we know she won't be presenting the Budget briefcase to the press cameras on Budget day this year. When she was first appointed as Finance Minister in May 2011, she presented the National Budget just a few days later. She was reading what she obviously hadn't prepared herself: Emphasizing on economic policies that she had no clue about yet. That was the low point of Mrs. Kiwanuka in my eyes. But to her credit, she did later streamline government accounts withdrawal procedures and civil service salaries processes amongst her other achievements. But let me first attempt to analyze what is really in that Budget day briefcase? Ugandans! Do you Remember the 90's when citizens would sit every Sunday in Local Council meetings and decide on community matters including their needs like security, sanitation, social activities and development priorities? You witnessed those meetings some 15 or 20 years ago now. One good important aspect about it was that a people-based budget could then be drafted and consolidated starting from the LC 1 level upwards. The National Planning Authority receives these local budgets and uses them to prepare a National Budget for the Finance Ministry. That's what the briefcase is ultimately supposed to contain on Budget day. I know! It's boring to me too but someone has to look critically at these things so as not to be hoodwinked all the time. My worries are the following: When was the last time you sat in your community meeting and decided on its needs? And since most people can't remember, then who is deciding what is drafted in the National Budget? Article 10 of the constitution says "The State shall take all necessary steps to involve the people in the formulation and implementation of development plans and programmes which affect them." In essence, that is what the LC community meetings were about. The foundation without which a transparent, citizenry-based national budget is virtually impossible. So given that every year we still see a Finance Minister with a brief case, yet you didn't have your say in what should be included in it, maybe we have a State with paranormal abilities that has been inquiring from you using some telepathy. That moment when the minister lifts up the briefcase for the cameras? That could be your budgetary approval to the leather case also containing someones lunch. When I say lunch, it's not sweet potatoes and a mangoe that I'm talking about. This budgetary process also lines up the billions of shillings that will later disappear that financial year through corruption.
Hussein Amin.
_______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list WestNileNet@kym.net http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________
