Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija has denied reports that he was grilled and allegedly fired by the appointing authority last week.
Addressing the press at Uganda Media Centre this morning, a seemingly shaken Kasaija said there is still a probe by members of Parliament to have him relieved of duty due to a scandal that saw government lose money.
Kasaija says they are awaiting a report from the auditor general to see if there was any wrong doing from his side and that he will then address the question.
Trouble started when the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the leadership of Angelline Osegge recommended the censure of Kasaija for misleading government in obtaining $200m Preferential Trade Area (PTA) loan 'by false pretense'.
Meanwhile, the minister has also denied media reports that government is borrowing 700 Billion shillings to pay salaries of public servants.
“I would like to inform the General public that the story was an exaggeration of the proposed borrowing that I laid before parliament” Kasaija said.
The story was carried in the New Vision of Monday February 19th 2018.
Kasaija explained that 736 Billion Shillings will be borrowed from the domestic market, to ensure that government meets the financing obligations of on-going infrastructure projects whose certificates will fall due this financial year as well as other statutory obligations such as wages.
“I therefore wish to reiterate that whereas 48bn shillings of the borrowing will meet the shortfall on salaries, this is only 1.3% of the total GoU wage bill. The wage bill this financial year amounts to 3.58 Trillion and a total of 2.70 Trillion has already been released covering the first three quarters of the financial year. It is therefore erroneous to assume or create the impression that government has no money to pay salaries” The minister said.
