KAMPALA, Uganda — The Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities & State Enterprises (COSASE) has raised serious concerns over the Uganda Tourism Board’s (UTB) recent expenditure of Shs1.958 billion on inspecting accommodation facilities, a move that has only yielded Shs38 million in registration and licensing fees.
The scrutiny follows pointed questions from MPs Gerald Nangoli (Elgon North) and Martin Muzaale (Buzaaya County), who challenged the logic behind spending such a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money on an initiative that generated minimal revenue.
The issue was brought to light as part of a broader investigation into government spending. On June 28, 2024, the Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, addressed the press regarding Uganda’s repurposed budget, emphasizing a crackdown on unnecessary expenditure, particularly in the area of travel.
Ggoobi criticized the misuse of funds for international trips under the guise of benchmarking, stating, “They are going to construct a road, that they have gone to Malaysia to benchmark. A road is a road, get technical people to test the soil, test the strength of the ground and build the damn road, what are you doing in Malaysia?”
He further highlighted the government’s commitment to eliminating wasteful spending: “When they reach Malaysia, they are taking selfies on tall buildings, and they come back. Those travels, I want to tell you, we are sniffing them out and we are cutting them. Workshops, parties, all the time parties, those things we have cut them.”
Ggoobi assured the public that while there will be a reduction in the budget for international travel, it does not mean an end to all official trips. Instead, the focus will shift to ensuring that any travel undertaken by government officials is genuinely purposeful and beneficial to the nation.
As COSASE continues its investigation, the UTB’s spending practices will remain under the spotlight, with the public and MPs alike eager for a resolution that ensures greater accountability and better use of public funds.
