The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development (GLSD) Hon. Betty Amongi has defended the Ushs 6 billion she directed the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) management and board to include in its 2023/2024 budget for sensitization.
“I directed Ushs 6b to be included in the NSSF budget for activities that will be implemented by NSSF management and not my Gender and Labour Ministry,” She said.
The Minister said the strategic initiatives had corresponding activities for which an allocation of Ushs 6b was approved in the budget in June 2022 and the work plan was reviewed in November 2022.
She said: “I would like to demystify the ongoing misinformation. The Ushs 6b budget I approved is appropriated under NSSF operation budget for 2022/2023.”
Hon. Betty Amongi was speaking on the controversial Ushs 6b linked to her office that has become matter for public discussion. The matter was linked to the recent decline by the Minister to renew appointment of NSSF Managing Director Mr Richard Byarugaba.
The Minister said the activities to be covered by the money are programmed as NSSF activites and not under the Gender, Labour and Social Development Ministry,
“These activities will be undertaken by NSSF in partnership with relevant entities some in government while others are in the private sector,” She said,
Hon Amongi said her ministry would only provide oversight and support the fund in the supervising and implementation of the activities in line with its legal mandate as the Ministry responsible for social security.
Information available in Finance Ministry indicates that Ushs 6b was included in NSSF budget after Hon Amongi wrote letter dated June 16, 2022addressed to NSSF Board Chairman Dr Peter Kinbowa in which she requested for the money.
“As discussed in order to achieve our objective of expanding collections of contributions from workers through collaboration with key stakeholders as agreed in our meeting provide an allocation of Ushs 6b from our operating budget of Ushs 220,885,834,375 (Uganda shillings two hundred and twenty billion, eight hundred and eighty five million, eight hundred and thirty four thousand three hundred and seventy five only)”, said the letter in part.
The Workers Eye has established that outgoing NSSF Managing Director Mr Richard Byarugaba declined to honour the Minister’s directive on including Ushs 6b in the fund’s budget which resulted in sour relationship.
By coincidence during the same period the employment contract of service for Mr Richard Byarugaba was expiring and due for renew which the Minister declined to renew.
However the Minister renewed contract for NSSF Deputy Managing Director Mr Patrick Ayota , who is now acting as Managing Director.
NSSF Board Chairman is said to have recommended reappointment of Mr Byarugaba to no avail. Efforts by the Prime Minister Hon Robina Nabbanja to prevail over the Minister to rescind her decision and appoint Mr Byarugaba were defied.
But instead office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) was called in to investigate financial mismanagement of NSSF.
Workers MPs and the four NSSF board members representing workers declined to comment on the matter.
Well – placed sources told the Workers Eye that GLSD Minister Hon. Betty Amongi is taking instructions from “above” on a sophisticated matter managed on “remote” control
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