Uganda: Speaker calls for increased citizen participation in budget processes

The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has urged the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices to foster increased citizens participation in budget processes. 

Speaker Among made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf by Parliamentary Commissioner Hon Solomon Silwany during the 7th Annual African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (An-PBO) Conference, at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort on Monday, 16 September 2024.

Citizen involvement and participation, said Among, engenders transparency and accountability in governance and budgeting.  

“Parliament of Uganda’s Budget office has developed capacity to monitor government programmes through topical studies, but this can be further enhanced during the consideration of the annual budget estimates through citizen participation, like in the case of Zimbabwe that holds a pre-budget conference incorporating citizens’ views,” she said. 

Among said budget officers need adequate financial and technical support to deliver on their mandate.

“Parliamentary budget offices must be equipped with tools and knowledge to provide our Parliaments with the best possible advice on emerging issues. This can be achieved through capacity building to ensure a robust and well-functioning Parliamentary Institution. Investing in the capacity of Parliament through training, resources and support mechanisms is also crucial,” Among said.

She hailed as timely the theme, ‘Role of PBOs in African Parliaments’ Fiscal Oversights: Contribution to the African Development Agenda 2063′, and said it reflects the evolving challenges and opportunities in the line of work of parliamentary budget offices.

Speaker Among was also named patron of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices. 

The Deputy Clerk (Parliamentary Affairs), Ms Rose Ikiror, said the Uganda Parliament Budget Office has been instrumental in supporting the appropriation and oversight functions of Parliament.

“The work that your offices do across Africa is critical in ensuring that our parliaments serve as effective checks and balances on the Executive, thereby safeguarding the interests of our citizens,” she said. 

She added that the conference will serve as a vital platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building, and such forums will avail learning from the experience and best practices of participating countries.

The Chairperson of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices, Dr. Dumisani Jantjies, observed that the budget offices feed into the role of the legislature and support the work of MPs in handling fiscal policy, and as such, they should be accorded more support to deliver more effectively.

The Director of the Parliament of Uganda Budget Office, Mr Sulaiman Kiggundu, said the AN-PBO conference will amplify the importance of the collective role in public finance management, where parliament budget offices appear in unique positions to support fiscal legislative processes.

“This conference is not just about sharing knowledge but also building a collaborative network where we can continue to support each other. The partnerships we foster here will strengthen our collective capacity to respond to the fiscal challenges of today and tomorrow,” Kiggundu added.

The week-long AN-PBO conference will feature discussions on topical issues including the complimentary role of parliamentary budget offices in achieving policy outcomes, and building capacity for sound financial management in African institutions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.