By Jimmy Muhumuza
Parliament
The Parliamentary Committee of Trade and Tourism chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka has today interrogated officials of the Ministry of Trade for diverting shs5b which was meant for renting new office space and repurposing it for renovation of the old premises.
The committee is concerned about how the contract sum for renovation was inflated from the initial contract sum of 3.1bn to double 6.2billion.
In 2021/2022 parliament approved UGX 5 billion supplementary budgets to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives for renting office space, but instead, the ministry diverted funds into the renovation of the dilapidated current premises of farmer’s house on Parliament Avenue which sparked off an oversight inquiry from the committee of trade.
“You were allocated shs 5billion for renting new premises and you decided to renovate the old premise at the cost of shs 6.2 billion, that means you committed government into a multiyear commitment without the approval of parliament,’’ says Hon. Mwine Mpaka
Legislators are also investigating claims that the ministry used 400 million to transport items from the rented building (Famers House) at parliamentary avenue to a store in Entebbe.
“What kind of transport did you use? If transporting a truck of sand from Masaka –Lwera is 2.5 million what exactly did you use!!” says Hon Katoto Muhammed Mp Katerera County
MPs are also investigating claims that the Ministry of Trade allegedly procured second-hand vehicles in 2019 for ministers yet they were allocated funds for new vehicles.
Parliament voted 2.8bn to the Ministry of Trade for the procurement of five vehicles for four ministers each a 600m and one for the permanent secretary at 400m but it’s alleged that instead, the ministry went for second-hand vehicles.
The committee today put in the corner the Eng. Byaruhanga Deo and the Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Trade Rose Asimwe who signed the documents of Shs6.2bn in the absence of a senior colleague to explain what her interest was in inflating the contract sum, and why she assumed powers of her bosses to take charge of the procurement of this controversial contract.
The committee has concluded that they will use all the powers to have the permanent secretary Ms. Geraldine Ssali appear before the committee with other ministry officials on the same matter.
