Kampala, Uganda: Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has outlined seven key constitutional responsibilities that Members of Uganda’s 12th Parliament must play in the national budget process, urging legislators to strengthen oversight and ensure accountability in the use of public resources.
Speaking on Wednesday during the ongoing induction of newly elected MPs at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Musasizi said Parliament remains central to Uganda’s public finance management framework and must actively participate in shaping, approving and monitoring the national budget.
“The budget is Uganda’s most powerful development tool and Parliament’s role in shaping it through the National Budget Framework Paper process is constitutionally guaranteed and practically significant,” Musasizi said.
The minister said legislators are responsible for approving the Budget Framework Paper, scrutinising ministerial policy statements, appropriating public funds and enacting tax legislation.
He added that Parliament also has the mandate to review budget performance reports, consider reports from the Auditor General and monitor the implementation of government programmes within their respective constituencies to ensure value for money.
Musasizi said effective parliamentary oversight is critical to improving service delivery and strengthening public confidence in government expenditure.
The Finance Minister also briefed legislators on reforms the government has implemented to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in public finance management.
Among the reforms he highlighted were the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), Programme-Based Budgeting, electronic cash payments (e-Cash), e-government procurement, the Single Treasury Account, and the decentralisation of salary and pension management.
Musasizi further explained the country’s major sources of financing for the national budget, including tax revenue, non-tax revenue, external grants, external loans and domestic borrowing.
He encouraged Members of Parliament to make greater use of reports produced by the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), describing them as essential accountability tools for identifying weaknesses in public expenditure.
The minister urged legislators to follow up on audit findings and ensure that recommendations are implemented through Treasury Memoranda.
He also called on MPs to actively participate in the Local Government budget consultations for the 2027/28 Financial Year, which are scheduled to commence in September 2026.
Earlier, National Planning Authority (NPA) Chairperson Prof. Pamela Mbabazi presented Uganda’s long-term development agenda, highlighting the link between Uganda Vision 2040, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the government’s tenfold economic growth strategy aimed at expanding the country’s economy to US$500 billion by 2040.
Prof. Mbabazi said Parliament has a critical role in enacting legislation, approving budgets and providing oversight necessary to realise Uganda Vision 2040 and the country’s broader socio-economic transformation agenda.
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