Members of the 10th Parliament at orientation

Members of parliament are demanding unbearable allowances that would stretch parliament into financial crisis on top of  quick request for provision of vehicles. Members  of parliament demand for funeral rites allowance to cater for their constituencies, housing allowances and special allowances given to MPs as soon as they are sworn in.

The member of parliament for Bugabula south in Kamuli district Henry Morris Kibalya while at the members of parliament orientation said that MPs should be given each about 30 million shillings for funeral rites in their constituencies. Kibalya also asked parliament to release quickly funds for purchase of new vehicles for members of parliament, noting that in his constituency voters are tired of seeing him in a vehicle he used to campaign. The member of parliament for Bulambuli county Alex Burundo wondered  why parliament failed to give members of parliament a special allowance soon after swearing in, since MPs where financially incapacitated.

Some members of parliament called for the review of mileage allowances so as it gives much funds for fuel to MPs representing mountainous constituencies. However, the member of parliament for Nakaseke south Lutamaguzi Semakula asked parliament to block the media from accessing the MPs meeting when are discussing issues related to emoluments since the media exaggerate such matters to the public.

Responding to mps concerns the Director finance at parliament Patrick Kunobwa says that the demands will be looked into by the parliamentary commission and adjusted accordingly.

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This month MPs passed the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2016 that allows MPs to exempt taxes from their allowances. Namboze says there has been a public outcry especially from the constituencies against  a section in the Bill that allows MPs dodge tax charged from their allowances. She says the constituencies believe that the exemption should be across all the professions like doctors and teachers, and not only the MPs.

Namboze says that this  Bill must  be recalled before its assented to by the president. She notes that this exemption should be extended to all civil servants.

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MP Henry Musasizi of Rubanda East

Some members of parliament say attempts by the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi to communicate the government position on MPs’ tax exemption as negative are false because the NRM MPs agreed on that matter while at Kyankwanzi retreat. The MPs have also threatened that if the president does not assent to the tax income bill they will not pass the budget which is supposed to be passed by May 31st.

Addressing a news conference at parliament, MPs Henry Musasizi of Rubanda East and Peter Ogwang of Youth eastern said the president asked NRM MPs not to increase their salaries and allowances while in Kyankwanzi and they agreed on condition that they will be exempted from paying taxes. The MPs also threatened to rally their colleagues not to pass the budget should the president decline to assent to the bill. Their concerns came after media reports that the government rejected MPs’ tax exemption.

MP Musasizi who is also a member on the Parliamentary committee on finance that scrutinized the income tax bill before the House approval says that it’s a disappointed by the utterances of Muhakanizi whom he says is usurping powers of the minister to communicate the position of government. He said that Muhakanizi should go slow on MPs over taxes ,adding that they will expose him over his dirty deals. Musazizi said that the allowances are used to maintain their constituencies, buy fuel, pay their drivers and facilitate meetings in their constituencies among other responsibilities.

MP Ogwang who is also the vice chairperson of the NRM caucus said that it was unfortunate for the Ministry of Finance PS to mix his views with those of the ministry well knowing that MPs, unlike civil servants, pay their drivers, researchers, campaigners and others which to him is enough tax to be paid by a member of parliament. He warns civil society against their move to block MPs from being exempted from paying taxes on allowances.

The development comes  after Justice Henry Adonyo of the Commercial Court ordered that MPs’ allowances, including mileage and constituency allowances, sitting allowances for committee to be taxed.

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The parliamentary commission is seeking for funds to give each Member of Parliament 2 million shillings for tea and lunch, though the commission officials while appearing before the committee failed to explain a proposed plan by the commission to give Members of Parliament tea and lunch of 2 million shillings per month.

The commission appeared before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee chaired by Stephen Tashobya where the committee was informed that a decision was taken by the commission to give tea and lunch to members but when tasked to explain, the commission bosses failed to explain and instead asked for more time. The parliamentary commissioner William Nokrach said that this proposal should be ignored because it came by mistake in the committee.

Currently each MP has been  providing for his or her lunch but the parliamentary commission is proposing to give MPs money for lunch and increase the money for the vehicles from 103 million shillings to 130 million shillings for the members in the 10th parliament according to a source on the legal committee of parliament. The commission appeared before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee chaired by Stephen Tashobya to defend the commission budget but when members tasked the commissioners to explain they failed and instead asked for more time.

According to the clerk to parliament Jane Kibirige, the commission submitted a total budget worth 652bn shillings to ministry of finance of which 86.8bn is needed for wages, 473bn for non-wage among others, but the ministry has only provided 318bn shillings leaving a funding gap of 333bn shillings.

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