Parliament has approved Uganda’s 2017-18 national budget totalling to Shs 29 trillion. This followed the discussion of a report by the Budget Committee.

Today, finance minister Matia Kasaija will read the budget at Kampala Serena Hotel.

WINNERS

But a look at the allocations reveals that nine dockets have received a boost in their budgets compared with the FY 2016-17, with the works ministry receiving a lion’s share of this increment to the tune of Shs 807bn.

The second winner (which makes tax payers losers) is loan interest payments. This will receive a boost in allocation amounting to Shs 653bn in addition to the current financial year’s allocation.

The next winner is the public sector management function which will receive a Shs 166bn boost.

Others are ICT and national guidance (Shs 51bn), accountability (Shs 45.5bn); education (Shs 28bn), agriculture (Shs 40bn) and public administration (Shs 4bn).

LOSERS

The dockets whose budgets were cut include that of health, security, parliament, trade and tourism. Others are justice, law and order sector, water and environment, lands, housing and urban development, and social development.