RED FLAGS: UGX37 BILLION ALLOCATED TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EXPORTS & INDUSTRIAL DEV’T UNDER MUSEVENI’S SON-IN-LAW ODREK RWABWOGO

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The Government of Uganda has been castigated for allocating UGX37 billion to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, an agency led by President Museveni’s son-in-law Odrek Rwabwogo.









WHY RWABWOGO? Rwabwogo is supposed to spend this money on ‘coffee value chain, export, and industrial development promotion’, but the manner of the allocation caused suspicions hence Parliament raising red flags last week.







The money was first introduced as a component of the newly established Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) agency vote. It was then switched to the State House as part of classified expenditure – putting its use almost beyond parliamentary oversight.




In a minority report on the 2023/24 budget proposals, the opposition legislators said that approving the allocation would irregularly put tax-payers’ money into private hands.




“He [Mr Rwabwogo] has been allocated $10 million (Shs37 billion) in the budget. This amount for private investment was directly charged to the Consolidated Fund. In the subsequent corrigenda, it has been shifted to State House under classified expenditure,” the report said.




The minority report said support for coffee value chain development is a suspicious subvention placed under STI’s newly created Vote 167. Information on the Rwabwogo committee’s website says it was established to coordinate exporters, producers, government institutions, and others, serving as a one-stop-shop for training, guidance, promotion, and other support needed to grow Uganda’s export potential.
Opposition MPs wondered why what they considered to be a private initiative was given public resources.







“We dissent with the majority decision to provide and shift funds amounting to Shs37 billion to Mr Odrek Rwabwogo under the guise of coffee value chain development from Vote 167 – Science, Technology, and Innovation, to classified expenditure (for logistical support and security) under Vote 002 State House as indicated in the addendum to the corrigenda for the Draft Budget Estimates for FY 2023/24,” the report said.  Adding: “Classified expenditure should not be abused to hide irregular, personal, and illegal expenditures on the Consolidated Fund”.




ALSO READ: WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE: UGX1 MILLION PROVIDED FOR BUYING PRESIDENT MUSEVENI’S CLOTHES DAILY https://risenewsug.com/2023/05/18/wasteful-expenditure-ugx1-million-provided-for-buying-president-musevenis-clothes-daily/

 









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