Overview:
Maris Wanyera, the Acting Director of Debt and Cash Policy, who represented the Acting Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Patrick Ocailap, said the teams should prioritise finalising the programme’s results framework, disbursement-linked indicators, fiduciary management systems and institutional arrangements.
KAMPALA. Government has urged the World Bank and its technical teams to fast-track the design of the second phase of the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT 2.0) programme to ensure it is included in the 2027/28 national budget.
Maris Wanyera, the Acting Director of Debt and Cash Policy, who represented the Acting Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Patrick Ocailap, said the teams should prioritise finalising the programme’s results framework, disbursement-linked indicators, fiduciary management systems and institutional arrangements.
She said the requirements, including environmental and social safeguards, should be clearly defined, measurable and achievable, drawing lessons from the first phase of UgIFT.
“Government has already secured an initial $200 million financing from the World Bank. The programme costing should also be finalised, with resources directed to high-impact reforms and investments,” Ms Wanyera said.
She added: “It is important that the design and approval processes are finalised in time to ensure the programme is reflected in the National Budget for FY2027/28.”
The World Bank Senior Public Sector Specialist, Ms Barbara Magezi, said the two sides had agreed on a nine-year, multi-phase programme to be implemented in three phases.
She said the programme will focus on education, health, water and environment, agriculture, particularly micro-irrigation, as well as local economic development and jobs.
Ms Magezi said the programme development objective is to improve the deployment, management and accountability of public resources to strengthen service delivery at local government level.
She identified inadequate staffing, absenteeism, weak performance, poor infrastructure and limited financing among the challenges the programme seeks to address.
The Acting Director of Budget, Mr Hannington Ashaba, said clear ownership of projects would be critical to the programme’s success.
He said implementing ministries, departments and agencies must ensure their projects are approved at the highest ministerial level before implementation.
Mr Ashaba said adherence to standard operating procedures would help strengthen accountability and prevent projects from being implemented without proper institutional ownership.