Hardly a month after legislators were sent on recess to consult their constituents on the marriage and divorce bill, the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has again adjourned plenary and committee business for two weeks to prepare for consideration of the budget frame papers for financial year 2013/2014.
Kadaga says the two-week period of time will enable the Parliamentary committees of Parliament meet all the relevant government ministries and government departments that will appear to present their budgets pending preparations for consideration of the 2013/2014 financial year budget.
The speaker asked MPs to concentrate on this issue arguing that time was running out. The budget should be presented before end of June and should be passed by latest September according to the parliamentary rules of procedure.
Kadaga also suspended business of standing committees until the 25th of April when normal parliamentary business resumes.
According to parliamentary rules of procedure, there are standing committees whose membership is only reshuffled after two and half years while the term of sessional committees expire after a year .
The standing committees include budget committee, National economy and the four accountability committees which are Government Assurances, Commissions Statutory and State Enterprises, Public Accounts Committee and Local Government Accounts Committee.
Government has outlined priorities for the 2013/2014 budget that will be read in June which includes Economic growth, Energy, Transport, Agriculture and Health among other key areas.
The Government also intends to allocate more resources in fighting graft which aims at strengthening the monitoring and supervision functions especially by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance among other sectors.
The transport sector is to take the biggest share of the next national budget as the Government intends to fund major road projects which include the northern transport corridor, Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, rehabilitation of Kampala city roads, construction of Hoima-Kaiso-Tonya road, and a special fund will be availed for the rehabilitation of district roads.