The parliamentary National Economy committee has rejected the full approval of the funds requested by government through a loan to finance the procurement of radios for school going children who are in the covid lockdown at home.
The committee members while meeting the minister of state for planning David Bahati over a loan request to finance numerous government projects which include radios and Television procurement for students at home and construction of DRC roads for market expansion in the region .
The committee chairperson who is also the chairperson of the National Economy committee Syda Bbumba and Kasilo county mp Elijah Okupa said that on both projects the committee will approve funds that will finance the projects half way since there others government projects that need more money yet there is no much funds available .
Syda Bbumba said that her committee intends to request parliament to release funds for procurement of 4 million radios out of the 9million for students at home due to covid -19 lockdown.
She said that even they will allow 50 % of the funds required to finance DRC roads by Uganda government and others funds be released in the next financial year .
The committee members also agreed to first inspect the roads in DRC which government wants to work on before making a final financing decision for these roads at a cost of 200 billion shillings .
Bumba said that after the election of parliament and the president on 14th January 2021 ,they will move to DRC to assess whether Uganda’s desire to work with DRC government to construct roads in DRC is viable.
However .minister Bahati pleaded with the committee members to approve the entire required funds for radio procurement and DRC roads construction as requested by cabinet.
He said that parliament should support digitalization of student learning at home by approving the 9 million shillings.
He also said that construction of roads in DRC will assist Uganda to have market for highly produced agricultural products across the country.
