Tax increases expected in Uganda national budget reading

The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Maria Kiwanuka will on Thursday read the national budget for 2013/2014 in which she will outline government’s projected revenues and expenditure allocations.  .

Budget speech 2013-14 download

She is expected to announce tax increases on some products and services as government seeks to raise more money amidist huge donor aid cuts occasioned by corruption and finanacial impropriety concerns against the government.

Minister Maria Kiwanuka

Minister Maria Kiwanuka

Kiwanuka is expected to announce a total budget estimate for the next financial year stands at 12trillion (12,005.4b) out of which sh8, 843.4b is expected to come from domestic revenues, sh49.6b from external support, sh2, 332.6b from project support and sh779.8b from the domestic banking system.

According to the background to the budget, the overall available resources will amount sh11,695.74b. If money from external sources is excluded, the money available for the next financial year is 9,363.09b, from which sh908.5b will be used on interest payment to service the country’s external and domestic debt obligations.

See BACK GROUND TO THE BUDGET 2013-14

Though the government is expected to announce increased allocations to agriculture, health, energy and mineral development, roads, among others, some sectors like Information and Communication technologies, the social sector will see budget cuts.

The cabinet met recently to review the background to the budget and regretted it would not be able to implement salary enhancement for teachers, health workers, UPDF and other lower cadre civil servants.

Other unfunded priorities include additional requirement for the parliamentary commission amounting to sh43b and extra funding to judiciary amounting to sh20b of which only 10b has been secured. But somethings might have changed between then and now, and we await to see what Kiwanuka has for Ugandans.

Follow the live video of the budget reading

You can follow this event live here, and participate through twitter. The hash tags are #Uganda Budget, #Uganda Budget Reading, #Uganda Budget 2013, #East Africa Budget Reading and #UGBugedget13. You can also contribute your views on the comment box below, and on our page in facebook.

See Background to the Budget

BACK GROUND TO THE BUDGET 2013-14

The full budget speech

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