By Alice Lubwama
Government will not introduce any new tax in the national budget 2019/2020 which will be read today 13th June by the finance minister Matia Kasaija.
The chairperson of the finance committee of parliament Henry Musasizi has given an assurance to Ugandans that parliament did not approve any new tax apart from introducing administrative measures which will improve efficiency with in tax administration.
"Measures are to bring down the taxes and we have actually terminated withholding tax of 1%on agricultural inputs." Musasizi added.
But an opposition member of parliament on the budget committee Muwanga kivumbi say that apart from parliament passing the budget without following the right procedure, there is a lot of borrowed money which will not be utilized in the budget because of luck of counterpart funding by government.`` for example UNRA alone we lost last year 200 billion in idle time and on loans that were not being utilized because government did not have counterpart funding.’’ Muwanga noted
The 2019/2020 financial year budget totaling to 40.5 trillion Shillings was passed by parliament without debate on the report from the budget committee.
MP Muwanga kivumbi also say that by the deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanya denying mps a chance to debate the report and make some changes in allocation of funds it will have an effect on some livelihoods.
The MP claims that if the mps had been allowed to make changes in allocations, they would have saved the youth livelihood fund and NAADS funds that has now been shifted to the office of the president.
Muwanga add that parliament had resolved that government increases salaries for all teachers but because there was no debate on the report, only salaries for science teachers have been increased in the budget being read today.
Some of the least funded sectors are Tourism with 157 billion, ICT 123 billion, Trade and Industry with 171 billion, Science and Technology 159 billion, Lands and Housing 193 billion, Social Development 218 billion and others.