Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has released its quarterly expenditure figures for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.

While addressing journalists at the ministry headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Ramadhan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), said that the total budget allocation for the first quarter is Ugx 5.899 trillion, with specific disbursements to wages (Ugx 1,990.28 billion), non-wage recurrent expenses (Ugx 3,371.91 billion), government development (Ugx 337.53 billion), and arrears (Ugx 199.83 billion).

According to Ggoobi, key allocations include Ugx 173.68 billion for the National Medical Stores to purchase essential drugs and medicines, as well as funds for referral hospitals, the Uganda Cancer Institute, the Uganda Heart Institute, and the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service.

The PSST said that security institutions also received substantial funding, with Ugx 253.30 billion allocated to the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and Ugx 56.43 billion for the Uganda Police Force.

On the state of the economy, Dr. Ggoobi noted that GDP growth reached 6% in FY 2023/24, driven by improvements across all sectors.

“The economy demonstrated a robust recovery, with GDP growth reaching 6% in FY 2023/24, driven by significant improvements across all sectors: services (6.6%), industry (5.8%), and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (5.1%),” he said.

He added, “Inflation was contained at 3.9% in June 2024, and the exchange rate stabilized at an average of Ugx 3,787 per US dollar. Lending interest rates for shilling-denominated loans decreased to 17.7% in April 2024 from 19.3% in April 2023.”

Ggoobi further urged the public to report any government officers who demand money to deliver services that the government already pays them to provide.

“Dear people of Uganda, you have the responsibility to fight corruption. Please report all government officers who ask for money to deliver a service the government pays them to do,” Ggoobi noted.

The PSST guided accounting officers to ensure the timely payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities by the 28th of each month, publicly display payrolls, prioritize payments to service providers, avoid arrears, and refrain from recruitment without proper clearance.