On September 25, 2024, Hon. Lillian Aber, the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, addressed the Parliament, revealing that her ministry faces significant challenges in accessing funds to manage disasters effectively.
Despite the Ministry’s commitment to mitigating disaster impact, Aber stated that they are often financially handicapped, unable to secure the necessary resources from the Ministry of Finance.
“There are numerous requests for funds to prevent, mitigate, and respond to disasters, but none have been released,” Aber said,
She urged Parliament to prioritize disaster preparedness and facilitate quick access to the contingency fund. She revealed the importance of fully funding the recently approved 10-year Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Plan, which has also been delayed due to financial shortages.
According to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 2015, the contingency fund should amount to 0.5% of the national budget to address disasters.However, accessing these funds has been a major hurdle.
Hon. John Baptist Lokii (Matheniko County) criticized the bureaucracy surrounding the release of disaster funds, stressing that disaster-related issues should not be delayed, as they concern human lives.
Lokii further proposed decentralizing disaster management offices to regions prone to disasters to expedite response times. His suggestion received wide support from other MPs, including Hon. Isaac Modoi (Lutseshe County), who called for district-level disaster risk management committees to be financially empowered.
In support, Hon. Lilian Paparu (Arua District Woman Representative) called for district governments to receive funds specifically allocated for disaster management. She argued that the Budget Call Circular should include provisions allowing local governments to allocate revenue for disaster mitigation efforts.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa noted that the core issue lies in limited resources, suggesting that if the disaster contingency fund cannot be implemented as outlined in the law, the relevant clauses in the PFMA should be reviewed.
Meanwhile, Hon. Christine Nakimwero, Shadow Minister for Water and Environment, advocated for involving the Ministry of Water and Environment in disaster management committees, as the majority of disasters are linked to environmental factors. She also called for the swift enactment of the long-awaited Disaster Management Bill, which has been pending before the Cabinet.
Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi,stated the importance of a seamless disaster response system, urging the Ministry to act quickly, even with limited resources.
“It does not make sense to respond to a disaster months later,” Ssenyonyi remarked
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