The speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has added her voice to that of Hon Judith Babirye’s who warned that agriculture deserves more funding than is currently accorded.
Kadaga was speaking in Kamuli on Saturday when she reminded government about the need to implement the Maputo Declaration on agriculture financing.
The Declaration, to which Uganda is party, requires governments to set aside up to 10 per cent of the national budget to finance agriculture.
“We have tried every financial year to have government implement the Maputo Declaration, but we get frustrated. We shall not relent,” Speaker Kadaga said as she handed certificates to rural farmers trained on best agriculture practices by the Uganda National Farmers’ Federation.
Hon Babirye earlier urged that the funds allocated to agriculture are very inadequate, considering the sector’s significance to the economy. This was at the launch of One Acre Fund in Buikwe district on February 21.
“Agriculture is the backbone of this economy, but we should also keep in mind that our revenues are still meager,” said Babirye. “But I believe as our incomes and taxes increase, even the budget allocation will increase.”
In the current financial year, agriculture managed Shs828b, translating into 3.8 per cent of the National Budget.
The National Budget Framework Paper for the next Financial Year 2018/2019, indicates that the National Budget may not significantly vary from the current one.
The sector employs approximately 69 per cent of Ugandans and account for 29 per cent of Uganda’s economy.
By Staff Writer.
