By Arans Tabaruka
Government continues to underscore the importance of the sector of works & transport with evidences of the share of the budgets allocations over the years.
Officiating the launch of the review meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo, the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Robbinah Nnabanja, commended the infrastructure development programme but warned of the accountability issues arising of misuse of funds by the technical people.
Nnabanja insists that technical officials at different levels are conniving with each other to produce accountability and political leaders are not doing their oversight role in motoring for value for money.
She cited a case in Entebbe municipality, where an engineer was found to have misappropriated 420m meant for a road that does not exist.
Works and Transport Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala agreed that the ministry is under pressure over different issues such as the ongoing rationalization of agencies and commissions being handled by the public service ministry but is hopeful to overcome.
He says the review comes in the wake of the 2nd review of the integrated transport infrastructure and services.
“Uganda is at the roundabout and this can’t be avoided if the region is to move forward, facilitating easy trade and this is beneficial to all EAC members” Gen Katumba said.
Development of quality infrastructure is an efficient way to create access to quality infrastructure to harness the EAC development agenda.
A seamless, safe and inclusive multi model of transport systems will achieve that to interconnect to each other.
Although the ministry continued to grapple with specific challenges in the 2021/22 FY such as inadequate funding due to limited external funding, low absorption of funds and procurement challenge of ministry project Gen Katumba insists they will make headway.
Participants in review have tasked the ministry to explain, the rampant low absorptions and performance and costly construction & maintenance of roads.
Despite significant potential & progress in building a resilient and inclusive transport sector, the ministry in a review of its integrated transport infrastructure and services confirms that the rationalisation of parastatals, reduced external funding could continue to burge its progress.
With an integrated transport infrastructure and services in review it remains to be seen as the effect of the effectiveness in harnessing a clear governance planning for development in the sector.
Why the continuing road patches, vandalism of road signs and what the ministry of works and transport is doing to reduce fatalities on the roads
During the 2nd annual integrated transport infrastructure and services Programme review, the ministry of works and transport was tasked to explain the consistent low performance and utilisation of resources allocated in the financial year 2021/22.
Whereas the government has registered an increased road network in the past decade, last year’s ministry financial and technical performance is at question.
Parliament appropriated a budget of 5148.51 billion representing 14.61% of the national budget . 744.03 billion for recurrent expenditure, while 4069.63 billion was for development expenditure.
The programme review reveals a shortfall in meeting several of it’s indicators, targets that are largely an attribute to the impacts of COVID19 and country limited economic funding.
The low performance is deliberately attributed to the low absorption exhibited by the ministry and UNRA under the external financing budget. Key of the low absorption areas were on projects such as the delayed commencements on Luwero-Butalangu and many of the tourism roads and several procurements for the ministry projects.
On average, the ministry reports that there are 11 deaths per day compared to 10 in 2020. This calls for a need to streamline plans to reduce road fatalities.
Issues of the road construction costs has again come, in upgrading roads. The ministry insists that the unit costs is he lowest in the region but awaits the 2.7 billion study that was flagged to make finding for appropriate action.
The average construction cost for upgrading roads in Uganda is now at 3.28 billion per kilometre. Averagely government also spends up to 1.96billion for rehabilitation/ reconstruction of roads, that excludes the costs of land acquisition.
In the FY 2021/22, the ministry of works needs 1,160.7 billion for road maintenance, only 387.892 has been made available.
Underfunding of programme interventions, procurement delays that hamper implementations, rising inflation and continuing incidences of vandalism of road materials has seen government loose up to 300 billion in a single financial year. This Indeed affected the levels of performance.