Uganda Government printing firm blocked from writing off Shs3b debt

The Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has blocked the move by Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) to write off debts over Shs3Bn, over claims that the documents supporting the debts disappeared without a trace from the entity’s premises.

The directive followed a question asked by Nakaseke Central MP Allan Mayanja who asked officials to clarify the responses given in their document that part of the debt to be written off worth Shs1.1Bn was a result of failure to locate some of the documents to support the debt.

“The Accounting Officer in his response said that the Shs1.1Bn relate to customers who didn’t have supporting documents. Can you clarify on this. What do you mean you don’t have supporting documents?” asked Mayanja.

 Andrew Senabulya, Manager Internal Audit at UPPC explained, “These debts had taken over 6-8 years to pay and they didn’t have proper documentation. We tried to look for the documentation and we failed. So we are proposing to the board to write it off. Documentations like the LPOs, deliveries and invoices because at UPPC in the previous years, there was the manual system, computerized system, then back to the manual system, so we couldn’t get the proper documents.”

However, Medard Sseggona (Busiro East), rejected the explanation given by UPPC, noting that the debt write off smells like a scheme taking place at the Corporation by some individuals seeking to benefit from the said debt, wondering how such crucial documents can simply disappear.

“Let us know when the debts were incurred, in relation to what services. Because I am, not against you, but I am smelling a rat, that some people could have caused documents to disappear. How can documents disappear when a service has been delivered? Because your work is publishing,” remarked Sseggona.

“You published somebody’s advert, that person didn’t pay, is there evidence that the person paid? No, bill them, say our records indicate that you owe us this much. Let that person show you evidence of payment. You people, you are saying you are broke and you want to write off UGX3Bn. Before you write off that debt, give us information that we are demanding and wait for this report,” he added.

Legislators also raised concern over the Corporation’s financial health after the Auditor General’s report indicated that in 2022/23, UPPC had projected to collect UGX8.8Bn in Printing and sales of publications, but ended up getting UGX2.3Bn, yet the entity enjoys monopoly in printing and publishing crucial documents for Government.