By CHIMPREPORTS
The Government of Uganda has introduced nine bills before Parliament aimed at legalizing provisions to rationalize agencies in different sectors of the economy. These bills aim to amend existing laws that establish agencies in various sectors including trade, education, finance, internal affairs, water and environment, agriculture, works and transport, social development, and tourism.
The proposed legislation is part of the government’s effort to disband and merge departments and agencies to reduce annual public administration costs, which amounted to Shs 1.3 Trillion as of 2021. The bills were tabled by respective ministers before the Parliament on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
The bills seek to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery by delineating the mandates and functions of government agencies to avoid duplication. They also aim to promote coordinated administrative arrangements, policies, and procedures for efficient management, financial accounting, and budgetary discipline.
Public Service Minister Muruuli Mukasa highlighted that the proliferation of agencies had led to mandate overlaps and jurisdictional ambiguities, and the proposed laws aim to address these issues.
In addition to these bills, a Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was tabled, intending to merge the Equal Opportunities Commission with the Uganda Human Rights Commission. However, some legislators raised concerns about proceeding with the bill in the absence of an update on the operationalization of the Constitutional Review Commission.
The Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, emphasized the need for comprehensive consideration of constitutional amendments in light of proposals made by some Members of Parliament. The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, assured that the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs is engaging with MPs, collecting proposals, and will present a report to the House.
In addition to these bills, five others were tabled for their first reading, including the National Tribunal Bill, 2023, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment), 2024, the Karamoja Development Agency (Repeal) Bill, 2024, the Uganda National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the National Records and Archives (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
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