More details have emerged regarding how much money Uganda has spent at the Dubai 2020 Expo, after Ugandans criticized government for its lackluster exhibition at the global event.
While it was initially believed that government had spent Shs3bn on its participation in the expo, a letter written by the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) permanent secretary Ramathan Ggoobi to accounting officers of line ministries, departments and agencies has indicated that Shs5bn was disbursed.
On September 16, PS Ramathan Ggoobi authorized the disbursement an additional Shs1.979bn for the Dubai exposition 2020.
Earlier, Shs3bn had been approved for the same event.
“Reference is made to the letter Ref: UEPB/ED/21-087 dated 13th September, 2021 requesting for UShs. 5,283,067,000= across various MDAs to enable their participation in the Dubai 2020 Expo,” wrote PS Ggoobi, also the secretary to the treasury.
“We have reviewed the requests in line with the budget provision for the respective institutions for FY 2021 /22 and observed the urgency to provide additional Quarter One Expenditure Limit amounting to UShs. 1,979,540,400. “This is therefore, to authorize additional Expenditure Limits amounting to UShs. 1,979,540.400 (One billion, Nine hundred and seventy nine million, Five hundred and forty thousand, Four hundred Shillings Only) to your votes as indicated in Annex 1 attached.”
The additional Shs2bn was shared as follows: Export Promotion Board Shs977m, Ministry of Agriculture Shs502m, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shs276m, Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives Shs87m, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Shs96m and Uganda Coffee Development Board Shs40m.
The sharing of the Shs5bn is said to have already sparked off a war of words among benefitting entities, with some calling for strict accountability in terms of how much each brought in terms of investment deals.
