The Lawmakers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Finance’s choice to cut the Parliament’s budget by Shs145 billion for the coming year, insisting that the budget be restored to its current amount.
According to the 2025/26 National Budget Framework Paper, the budget for Parliament is projected to decrease to Shs833.495 billion next year, down from Shs978.570 billion in 2024/25.
“The Committee observed that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the Parliamentary Commission for FY2025/26, as outlined in the initial Budget Call Circular (BCC), was Shs145 billion less than the approved budget for the fiscal year 2024/25. This budget reduction for the Parliamentary Commission needs to be corrected by increasing the MTEF.
The Committee advises that Shs145 billion be allocated to restore the Parliamentary Commission’s budget to its current operational levels,” part of the report from Legal & Parliamentary Affairs stated.
In addition to the Shs833.495 billion allocated to the Parliamentary Commission for the next year, the Legislature is seeking an extra Shs78.694 billion for the purchase of vehicles for key political figures in Parliament, procurement of office furniture, and payment for the contractor working on the new Parliamentary Chambers.
The breakdown indicates that Shs27.946 billion will be designated for the ongoing construction of the new Chamber, Shs25.8 billion for the purchase of light vehicles for political offices and 28-seater vans intended primarily for Committee oversight functions, Shs10.769 billion for office equipment acquisition, and Shs10 billion for the architectural design of the office block on Parliamentary Avenue.
“The Committee suggests that the Parliamentary Commission receive Shs78.694 billion in the FY2025/26 to address the shortfall in the development budget,” part of the Budget Committee report noted.
The Parliamentary Commission also requests an additional Shs12.12 billion for the acquisition of ICT hardware infrastructure and the planned e-Parliament Project.
