Parliament Approves UGX 193 Billion Allocation To Increase MPs Allowances

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By Uganda Online Media

Kampala: Parliament has confirmed a 193 billion shillings budgetary allocation to increase allowances for members of parliament in the coming financial year.

This has been confirmed by the Director for Communications and Public Affairs at Parliament Chris Obore saying the increment was informed by the enormous financial pressure the MPs are facing and they will share this money in the next financial year.

“We suggested an increment in their allowance. Their salary has never increased. That is a different matter. The salary remains 11.8m. So it was put in the budget proposal. You know what a budget proposal means. It has to depend on the revenue,” Obore said.

Obore says MPs have become frontline service providers and that an MP has to go to his/her constituency with at least Shs5m.

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“We the elite should not pretend. MPs face different pressures, “he added.

Despite the current economic situation characterized by skyrocketing prices of commodities, the Parliamentary Commission chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, reportedly debated a proposal to increase all MPs’ allowances starting July 2022.

The commission noted that the increasing commodity prices and high cost of living forced some MPs to take loans so as to meet the demands of their constituents.

Last month, President Museveni told parliamentary staff led by Speaker Among to wait before raising their salaries citing key personnel like armed forces, teachers and medical workers who are still getting low salaries.

In 2021, MPs sought to double their salaries to Shs. 24m from Shs.11m which would raise Parliament’s annual wage bill to Shs.129bn from Shs.39bn.

An MP gets a basic salary of Shs.11m, which comes to Shs.6m after all deductibles and an average of Shs10-30m in monthly mileage allowances.

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