MPs Warn Domestic Arrears Fuel Government Corruption Amid Budget Discrepancies

Members of Parliament have raised serious concerns over domestic arrears, describing them as a prime enabler of government corruption. During a session reviewing the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Committee’s report, Budget Committee Chairperson Hon. Patrick Isiagi Opolot called arrears the ‘sitting room of corruption.’

Opolot criticized the bypass of commitment control systems, which are meant to ensure spending only occurs with available funds. He warned that endless verification exercises merely perpetuate bad practices.

Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality) pointed to flawed ‘expenditure limiting’ policies that permit overspending despite known funding shortages. Meanwhile, Hon. Dennis Nyangweso (Indep., Samia Bugwe Central) noted that prior Shs200 billion allocations for arrears clearance were inadequate, projecting 37 years to clear the backlog. The committee now pushes for Shs450 billion but seeks proof of government progress.

Lawmakers also flagged inconsistencies across budget documents, including varying figures for the petroleum fund (Shs1.4 trillion vs. Shs1.8 trillion), domestic financing (Shs11.9 trillion vs. Shs11.2 trillion), and total resource envelope (Shs84.2 trillion vs. Shs84.5 trillion). Ssemujju urged updates to reflect supplementary budgets accurately.

Opolot affirmed that all adjustments must align in final approved figures. The Budget Committee plans to press the Ministry of Finance for clarifications in upcoming hearings.

Source: Parliament of Uganda