Uganda: Govt tables 23 more Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) Bills for First Reading

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The Bills and their certificates of financial implication were presented by different ministers for first reading, during the plenary sitting of Tuesday, 09 April 2024 chaired by Speaker Anita Among.

Hon. John Muyingo, the Minister of State for Education and Sports (Higher Education) presented the Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Hon. Fred Byamukama, (State Minister for Works and Transport) presented the Uganda Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Hon. Martin Bahinduka, (State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities) read the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre Act (Repeal) Bill, 2024 together with the Uganda Wildlife Amendment Bill, 2024.

Similarly, Hon. Hellen Asamo, (State Minister for Disabilities) presented the Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the National Library (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the National Council for Older Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the National Women Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024 while Hon. Balaam Barugahara, (State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development) read the National Youth Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Minister of State for Finance, (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, read the National Planning Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Physical Planning Amendment Bill, 2024, the Tier 4 Microfinance Institutions and Money Lenders (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Assets of Departed Asians (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Public Enterprises Reform and Divesture (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the National Population Council Act, 2014 (Repeal) Bill, 2024 and the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Additionally, the Minister of Water and Environment, Hon. Sam Cheptoris, presented the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the National Forestry and Tree Planting (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Other Bills presented also included the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (Amendment) Bill, 2024 laid by the Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka and The Uganda National Roads Authority Act (Repeal) Bill, 2024 laid by Hon. Edward Katumba Wamala.

The Uganda Exports Promotions Board Act (Repeal) Bill, 2024 was laid by Hon. Francis Mwebesa, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives while the Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council Act (Repeal) Bill, 2024 by Hon. Hellen Adoa (State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries).

Notably, the National Curriculum Development Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was laid by Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, the Government Chief Whip on behalf of the education minister.

Speaker Among said that the Bills were to be presented individually, hence the justification for each reading.

“These Bills were not in an omnibus; they were to be brought one by one plus their certificates of financial implication. Pursuant to the Rules, the respective sectoral committees are supposed scrutinise the Bills and report back to the House,” Among said.

RAPEX was adapted by Cabinet on 22 February 2021 in a bid to reduce wasteful public expenditure by government agencies and save more than Shs1 trillion shillings in public expenditure.

On 27 February 2024, Cabinet withdrew the Bills that it sought to rationalise and merge public entities pending harmonisation following concerns from Members of Parliament over the lack of certificates of financial implications.

Earlier during a plenary sitting held on Thursday, 04 April 2024, government tabled 11 Bills namely, the Higher Education Students’ Financing (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the NGO (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Children (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Dairy Industry (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and the Non-Performing Asset Recovery Trust Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Other Bills presented also included Free Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Warehouse Receipt System (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Agricultural Chemicals Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Cotton (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to mainstream the functions of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority – UCDA in to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.