The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has called postponed to April its planned caucus retreat to enable legislators concentrate on the budget cycle in Parliament.
The retreat initially planned to run for a week, was scheduled to begin yesterday Sunday at the National Leadership Training Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi.
But the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga wrote to the Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa requesting that the retreat be postponed.
NRM Caucus' Vice Chairperson Solomon Silwanyi says that the request is to enable legislators conclude the 2017/2018 budget planning cycle and other business in the House before taking a break for the retreat. The Public Finance Management Act requires parliament to process the budget by May 31.
Budget Committee Chairperson, Amos Lugoloobi says that the House is awaiting submission of policy statements from all ministries and spending agencies by March 15 and the submission of the budget estimates from the Ministry of Finance by April 1.
Lugoloobi said that without processing the budget within the specified dates, Parliament will not be able to beat the deadline prior to the new financial year. Silwanyi said that the caucus retreat is now expected to be held in April.
Silwanyi also told reporters that top on the NRM caucus retreat agenda was a discussion on famine and drought in the country.
