Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has called for a major shift in the way government budgets are planned and assessed, directing public officials to focus on what citizens gain from government spending rather than simply accounting for money used.Musasizi said planners, accountants and procurement officers must work together to ensure that public funds are translated into quality services, completed projects and other measurable improvements in communities across the country.
He made the call on Wednesday while closing the annual meeting of Heads of Planning, Accounts and Procurement Units, where he stressed that the three functions must operate in closer coordination to strengthen planning, budgeting, implementation, reporting and accountability.According to Musasizi, Uganda’s ambition of building a $500 billion economy by 2040 through the Tenfold Growth Strategy will depend heavily on how effectively the country mobilises and manages public resources.He identified domestic revenue mobilisation, the presidential wealth-creation agenda, responsible management of oil revenues, budget discipline and accountability as some of the critical areas that must receive greater attention if Uganda is to achieve its economic transformation targets.
Musasizi said the traditional approach of judging government performance by how much money has been spent must give way to a results-oriented system where institutions are held accountable for the value their programmes deliver to citizens.He also urged officials to strengthen professional standards in planning and procurement, improve budget controls and enhance monitoring to prevent public resources from being lost without producing meaningful development outcomes.The minister called for government plans to be better coordinated from the grassroots to Cabinet and Parliament, saying closer cooperation among public officials would help ensure that every allocation is properly planned, procured, accounted for and ultimately converted into tangible benefits for Ugandans.
