Members of the august house have raised eyebrows over the perplexing discrepancies found in the employee payroll of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
In a session with the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) helmed by Medard Lubega Ssegona, concerns were voiced regarding the integrity of UNRA’s workforce data.
These concerns stem from revelations unearthed in the Auditor General’s report on the financial state of the Authority for the fiscal year concluding on June 30, 2024.
Of particular note were the irregularities discovered within the employee records, showcasing instances of 52 temporarily employed individuals and 155 permanent staff whose verification statuses were only partially confirmed.
According to the Auditor General’s findings, out of the 1,442 individuals enlisted in the main payroll, a staggering 88.97% were fully verified, leaving 10.74% in a state of partial verification limbo.
Further scrutiny of the report reveals that out of the 193 temporary staff listed on UNRA’s payroll for February 2023, 69.4% were fully verified while 26.94% remained in the partially verified category.
Adding fuel to the fire, it was found that 69 employees listed in the main payroll and one temporary recruit exhibited inconsistencies in their provided names and National Identification Numbers (NINs).
The financial scrutiny didn’t end there, with the report also shedding light on an under-remittance of local service tax amounting to a hefty sum of sh51.7m. Furthermore, out of the 1,480 sanctioned positions within the authority, a glaring gap of 37 unfilled positions was observed, raising questions about operational efficiency.
UNRA’s Fiscal Faux Pas Under COSASE Microscope
In a session characterized by pointed queries and furrowed brows, Members of Parliament expressed bewilderment at UNRA’s failure to furnish the Ministry of Finance with wage estimates and recruitment plans.
Additionally, concerns were raised regarding UNRA’s backlog of outstanding payments, some stretching beyond the two-year mark.
According to the financial records, UNRA reported liabilities exceeding sh621.496b as of June 30, 2023, with some payments languishing in arrears for extended periods.
“I scrutinized the disclosed payables and found that three accounts, totaling over sh112m, had been overdue for more than two years. Furthermore, 50 accounts, accumulating to over sh42b, had remained unsettled for over a year, with a staggering 768 accounts, totaling over sh579.362b, in arrears for the same duration,” remarked the report.
The Auditor General underscored that prolonged outstanding payments not only hint at budgetary inadequacies but also expose management to potential legal ramifications, including litigation and penalty charges for delayed settlements.
Brenda Kyasiimire, acting as UNRA’s Director of Human Resources, attributed the errors to a mishmash of data entry blunders and technical glitches during the migration of data from Excel to the Human Capital Management Software (HCM).
In addressing concerns over staff data inconsistencies, Kyasiimire assured the committee of rectifications made and pledged to provide evidentiary support.
Meanwhile, Allen Kagina, the entity’s Executive Director, offered insights into the audit queries concerning outstanding payables. Kagina attributed the financial strains to budget cuts and insufficient funding, leading to a backlog of sh349b on ongoing projects.
Kagina further elucidated that despite receiving sh7b earmarked for settling domestic arrears totaling sh471b, the allocation fell short of absorbing the debt incurred by projects outside the government’s Project Implementation Plan (PIP).
Delays and Discrepancies in PAP Payments
A comprehensive review of UNRA’s land acquisition endeavors as of June 30, 2023, unveiled significant challenges in compensating Project Affected Persons (PAPs) involved in road projects.
According to the Auditor General’s report, UNRA procured over 28,960.87 acres of land from 172,608 PAPs, with compensation amounting to a staggering sum exceeding sh3.263tn. However, payments were only disbursed to 139,933 PAPs, totaling over sh2.490tn for 22,383.03 acres of land.
This glaring disparity leaves over sh773.7b in outstanding compensation, compounded by the obsolescence of original valuation reports for certain projects, necessitating redundant valuation exercises.
The delay in compensating PAPs, as noted by the Auditor General, led to further complications, including stalled projects such as the Kinja-Mbulamuti, Kyenjojo-Rwamwanja, and Tororo-Busia Road ventures.
In some instances, payments earmarked for projects such as the Kawuku-Bwerenga and Namugonde-Bugiri roads faced delays due to incomplete documentation from claimants, rejection of awards, or insufficient fund allocations, prolonging the agony for affected parties.
