Uganda needs a total estimated budget of Ugx 117,668,712,000 billion for implementation of the recommended measures during one Financial Year for all the Anti-corruption agencies. The money is set to help with a recently approved campaign of Zero Tolerance to Corruption.
Addressing the press at Uganda Media Centre this morning, Rev. Simon Lokodo the state minister for Ethics and integrity said total of UGX 106,028,852,000 billion is already available within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of the core Anti-Corruption Agencies who are to implement the policy, but that there is still a funding gap of UGX 11,639,860,000 billion which government is yet to appropriate to the core anti-corruption agencies.
The Zero Tolerance to Corruption Policy 2018 was approved by cabinet to help strengthen partnership, coordination and synergies among all the anti-corruption stakeholders, enhance the capacity of Anti-Corruption institutions to accelerate the momentum of enforcing the elaborate legal framework and Establishing internal inspection units in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to effectively detect and prevent corruption from occurring.
The campaign will also help in inculcating a culture of integrity, accountability and patriotism at all levels of society. This will be done in coordination with the pillars of change, which are the Family, Religious, Cultural and educational institutions.
It will also demonstrate commitment by all leaders from the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary to implement the recommendations of the anti-corruption, oversight institutions and Commissions of Inquiry.
According to Fr. Lokodo, the approval of the Zero Tolerance to Corruption Policy 2018 by Cabinet is a demonstration by government to firmly renew its commitment towards the fight against corruption.
“I therefore now call upon stakeholders and the general public at large to rise up to the challenge of eliminating corruption and wastage of public resources for a sustained national development” Lokodo said.
His statement today was in response to media reports that such a hefty budget is unnecessary in the fight against corruption, as many argued it will instead fuel it as individuals will swindle the money.
