The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, has tasked the Attorney General and Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development to expedite modification of the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 (PFMA), to help programme-based budgeting.
While addressing the House on Thursday, 30 January 2025, whereas contemplating the 2025/2026 finances framework paper, the Deputy Speaker cited must restructure Section 13(4) of the PFMA earlier than the following finances (2026/2027).
Section 13(4) of the PFMA reads that: “The Speaker shall commit the proposed annual finances to the Budget Committee of Parliament and to every sectoral committee of Parliament the a part of the annual finances that falls throughout the jurisdiction of that sectoral committee.”
“The Attorney General made a dedication to us right here. We need to realign our committees with the budgeting course of, as a result of I one time discovered KCCA was showing in 4 committee conferences directly. This is as a result of we now have didn’t align our committees with the programme-based budgeting,” Tayebwa mentioned.
He alluded to a report tabled by the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline which proposed the modification of the PFMA, which he mentioned shall help the modification of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.
“When amending the part, we will additionally must amend the definitions of sector, of finances, and all that. So that we come again to our guidelines and make programme committees. This will get rid of the sectoral committees the place MDAs are scattered throughout,” Tayebwa mentioned.
“I would like, earlier than anything, the Attorney General to commit us that the finances for subsequent yr (2026/2027) will tackle this, as a result of the approaching finances is already learn. These are direct amendments with no monetary implication, they solely want realignment,” he added.
The Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, dedicated to organize a draft proposal to amend the Public Finance Management Act, 2015, inside one month.
“What we are able to do, Mr Speaker, is to draft the Bill and ahead it to the Ministry of Finance and say, that is our proposal of the Bill, then they will proceed with it” Kiwanuka mentioned.
During a plenary sitting on 05 March 2024, the House adopted a report of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline on the proposed alignment of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament with the Programme-Based Budgeting Framework of presidency.
In the sitting, the State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, mentioned discussions concerning modification of the PFMA to present authorized impact to the Programme- Based Budgeting Framework have been underway on the time.
Tayebwa instructed the minister to repeatedly replace the House on the progress of the consultations, urging that the proposed amendments to the PFMA must be submitted to the House inside one yr.