Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has tabled before Parliament a list of beneficiaries who have received the covid-19 relief cash.
Ms Nabanja who said the beneficiaries were from Kawempe Division, Nakawa Division, and Gulu City, was meant to ensure accountability and transparency.
She said that her office that will fight corruption to the end said that other lists would continue being presented and later made public in all public places all over Uganda. Rt. Hon. Nabanja speaking…..
The list was then referred to Parliament’s Accountability Committee- PAC Central Government and the Local Government Accountability Committee by Deputy Speaker Anita Among for scrutiny and report back to parliament as soon as possible.
The government on July 8, 2021, launched the distribution of 100,000 Shillings Covid-19 relief cash to vulnerable Ugandans affected by the 42-day lockdown announced by President Yoweri Museveni to interrupt the spread of coronavirus.
Nabbanja told Parliament that the beneficiaries were identified from groups of people that depend on daily earnings in urban areas.
The beneficiaries include bus or taxi drivers, conductors, Baggage carriers, wheelbarrow pushers, touts, traffic guides, Barmen, Djs, barmaids, waiters and bouncers, Bar, gym and restaurant workers, boda-boda riders, special hire drivers and Uber drivers, Salons, massage parlor workers, teachers, and others.
Rt. Hon. Nabbanja says that the intervention was a short-term relief and not meant to address the high poverty levels.
Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition in parliament expressed his displeasure to the Prime Minister’s statement, saying government was putting a lot of emphasis on curative rather than preventive measures. Mpuuga asked the government to put all the emphasis on vaccination saying that the majority of the funds under emergency COVID-19 are being spent on activities that can be funded under a normal budget. END
