CSOs Call for Sanctions on Accounting Officers Over Arrears

Civil Society Organisations have called for sanctions against accounting officers who subsequently accumulate arrears. Government stock of domestic arrears has recently shot to 7.55 trillion whose sustainability is CSOs.

During their interface with the parliamentary committee of finance, over the development plan implementation program, officials of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group- CSBAG decried insufficient budget allocations by the government to address skyrocketing domestic arrears.  According to the Auditor General’s Report for the financial year ended June 2022, Domestic Arrears have increased from UGX. 4.65tn to 7.55tn in a space of one year.

However, the 200bn shillings which have been budgeted to clear arrears in the financial year 2023/2024 is a big concern to civil society organizations which believe it’s a drop in an ocean given the burden of stock of domestic arrears. They are concerned that the failure of the government to clear its suppliers is crowding out the private sector.

CSOs now want the accounting officers responsible for accumulating these arrears to be sanctioned for committing the government into excess arrears as the public finance management act stipulates. 

However, Finance Committee members blame it on the ministry of finance which is not appropriating adequate funds for MDAs to settle the accruing arrears.

CSBAG also recommended the government adequately resource the Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit- BMAU to enable it effectively monitor projects and provide real-time implementation to establish value for money for informing decision making