Local Governments wants ban on staff recruitment lifted
Local Government Minister Rafael Magyezi (FILE PHOTO)
Officials from Local Governments in Uganda have called on Parliament to ensure that the ban imposed on recruitment of staff is lifted by the Ministry of Service, saying that this has affected service delivery across the country.
The appeal was made by Richard Rwabuhinga, President Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) while appearing before Parliament’s Finance Committee that is investigating the unspent funds that were returned to the consolidated fund at the end of the 2022/2023 financial year, after the entities failed to utilize the monies allocated in the national budget.
Rwabuhinga said, “The filling of vacant positions could not be undertaken as there was a ban on recruitment. Literally, it is impossible to have the funds spent before the end of July 2023. These funds were therefore still swept off the accounts by 1st September 2023. It is clear that huge amounts have been lost by the LGs and this has affected recruitment of staff and implementation of development activities. The Ministry of Public Service should lift the ban on recruitment of staff to enable us to consume the wage allocated to each and every Local Government.”
Rwabuhinga, who also doubles as Chairperson Kabarole District Local Government also tabled before the Committee, a document sampling unspent wage balances Local Government that failed to utilize funds for wages to a tune of Shs358.939Bn and among the districts that returned the huge amounts included; Napak that failed to utilize Shs21.404Bn, Ngora Shs12.534Bn, Bunyangabo Shs12.641Bn, Amuria Shs10.053Bn.
The other local Governments included; Budaka Shs8.381Bn, Arua City Shs8.261Bn, Kumi Shs5.241Bn, Kiboga Shs4.949Bn, Kabale Shs4.892Bn, Kasese Municipality Shs11.864Bn among others.
Paul Omara (Otuke County) described as bogus the ban on recruitment of staff in Local Government questioning the logic behind the ban yet at the same time these wage funds are provided for in the Local Governments’ budgets.
He said, “The issue is that local governments have vacancies that aren’t filled up and money is appropriated by Parliament for that purpose but there is this funny thing of, don’t recruit. What is that thing? You appropriate money for recruitment, what kind of logic is this, absolutely bogus. It doesn’t make sense to me at all.”
Omara also raised concern over the failure by Local Governments to utilize Shs225.233Bn under Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT) for development projects and Shs150.600Bn World Bank funds for construction of seed schools.
However, the ban imposed by the Ministry of Finance was backed by Jane Avur (Pakwach DWR) who argued that this is intended to clean up the payroll to end the financial hemorrhage Government is grappling with as a result of payment of wages to ghost staff, although she also called for timelines to be imposed on how long the ban should be imposed in order not to cripple operations at local governments.
She explained, “In terms of the ban on recruitment, if you haven’t had the opportunity to get clarification from the Ministry of Finance, at least they gave us an indication that I think what they are doing is good. They told us they are doing validation. You are aware that a lot is going on in this country to the extent that it is purportedly reported that in Ntungamo a whole health facility with everything is supposed to be there, but it isn’t there. And even on social media last week, it was trending that the Minister of Local Government said there is a ghost district.”
Avur added, “So I think some of the things that the Ministry of Finance is doing is for the good of the people of Uganda. So, for me, a ban for a short while is okay if it is to clean up the payroll because we can’t keep paying money that would otherwise drill boreholes on ghost staff. Much as that is your concern, I think we should improve on the communication and timelines of that ban must be clear, it can’t be indefinite.” DEAR READER, DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH…FRAUD IN BANKS, BETTING FIRMS, CHEATERS, DIVORCE FILES, SEX NETWORKS, SEX FOR MARKS, HARASSMENT OF ALL NATURE AT OFFICE BY YOUR BOSS, CHILD NEGLECT, WETLAND OCCUPATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, VIDEOS, IMPUNITY or CORRUPTION (in government agencies/ MDA’s, NGOs, Ministries, Private sector), FIGHTS IN OFFICES, JOB WARS/ WITCH HUNT, URA TAX FRAUD/NON-COMPLIANCE, CHEATING MONEY LENDERS, BUSINESS WRANGLES, SUBSTANDARD PRODUCTS, GOLD SCAMS, NSSF REMITTANCES NON COMPLIANCE, LAND ISSUES, INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS EXPOSES, POLITICAL WRANGLES…ETAL. CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL: redpeppertips@gmail.com WITH AS MUCH EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE. SOURCE PROTECTION/CONFIDENTIALITY IS OUR NO.1 PRIORITY.
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