The works and transport sector took the biggest proportion of the budget that was read yesterday after the Government deciding to give the sector an extra sh744.7b.
More roads will be rehabilitated with the more money allocated to the transport sector
The Government allocated over sh2,395b to the roads and works sector, accounting for 19% of the total national budget. In the 2012/2013 financial year, the sector was allocated sh1650.7b.
In the budget framework paper (draft budget) for the 2013/2014 financial year, the budget for the works and transport sector allocated 1769.7b (15.1%), but during the Monday special cabinet meeting, the executive resolved to give the sector an additional funding.
Works and transport state minister John Byabagambi explained that the Government decided to give more priority to the transport sector to complete constructing the roads which were promised to the voters in the 2011 NRM manifesto.
“In this ending financial year, we finished entire budget in the third quarter of the year due to increased efficiency from the contractors. More competition among the contractors has compelled them to finish many of the roads ahead of schedule,” Byabagambi explained.
In the next financial year which begins next month, the Government will construct 1363km of roads. New roads to be constructed include Atiak-Nimule, Kyenjojo-Fort Portal, Mbarara- Bypass, Dualing of Kampala Northern Bypass, Masaka-Bukakata, Kamwenge-Fort Portal, Ntungamo-Mirama Hills, Kigumba-Bulima-Kabwoya, and Ishaka-Katunguru.
The roads to be completed are Atiak-Afogi, Hoima-Kaiso- Tonya, Fort-Portal-Bundibugyo, Ishaka-Kagamba, Nyakahita_ kazo, Kazo-Kamwenge, Mbarara-Kikagati, Malaba- Bugiri, Tororo-Mbale, Mbale- Soroti, Jinja-Kamuli, Moroto- Nakapiripiriti, Gulu-Atiak, Vurra-Arua-Koboko-Oraba, Kayunga-Galiraya, Ntungamo- Kabale-Katuna, and Mbarara- Ntungamo.
Roads to be rehabilitated include Mukono-Jinja, Kamudini- Gulu, Kafu-Karuma and Mukono-Kayunga-Njeru. The finance minister has allocated an additional sh72.7b to the Uganda Road Fund to enhance funding for national road maintenance. The total amount now available for this cause is sh352b.
Works minister Abraham Byandala recently told Parliament he needs about sh700b annually to be able to reduce the backlog of the roads that need maintenance.
The finance minister on Thursday promised that the Road User Fund Act will be operationalised in the course of the year so that the money goes to roads maintenance.
The opposition shadow minister for works and transport, Wafula Oguttu, recently issued a statement demanding that the Government accounts to Ugandans the over sh5trillion allocated for construction of roads in the last three years. He argued that despite trillions of money being allocated to the sector, work done is very little; implying that much of the money is siphoned by government officials in collusion with private contractors.
Many analysts argue that until the Government establishes its own roads construction company to limit contracting expensive foreign companies, work done in the sector will continue to leave a lot to be desired.
By Moses Mulondo, The New Vision
