government 20 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Musasizi Urges Value for Money in Public Spending
Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has called on government planners, accountants, and procurement officers to shift focus from merely spending allocated funds to ensuring tangible public services are delivered. He stressed that citizens must see demonstrable value from every shilling spent. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/focus-on-results-not-just-spending-musasizi-tasks-planners-accountants-and-procurement-officers-5565326
Minister of Finance Henry Musasizi has challenged key government officials to ensure public funds translate into visible benefits for Ugandans. Speaking at the annual retreat for heads of Planning, Accounts, and Procurement Units at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Musasizi urged a move away from expenditure-focused budgeting towards a results-oriented approach.
“Ugandans must see value in every government shilling,” Musasizi stated, emphasizing that robust coordination among these three critical units is essential for improving planning, implementation, accountability, and overall service delivery within public institutions.
The Minister highlighted that achieving Uganda’s goal of a $500 billion economy requires stringent discipline in public spending. Key priorities include disciplined budget execution, enhanced domestic revenue mobilization, careful management of oil resources, and strict adherence to the Budget Discipline and Accountability Charter.
Musasizi warned against departmental silos, asserting that effective government planning and execution depend on these three functions working in unison. He also called for the professionalization, standardization, and regulation of planning and procurement processes.
Echoing the minister’s sentiments, Hannington Ashaba, Acting Director of Budget, described the Planning, Accounts, and Procurement Units as the “triad” and the core for effective budget execution. He advocated for realistic, evidence-based planning and prompt payments aligned with the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).
However, the retreat also surfaced significant challenges hindering service delivery. Participants identified weak inter-departmental coordination, procurement delays, cash flow issues, fund diversion, and inadequate maintenance of public assets as major obstacles. The conference concluded that future government planning needs better integration across all levels to boost efficiency and prevent duplication.
This report is based on information from the Daily Monitor.