Kitgum District Budget Up By UGX 1b

Kitgum District Local Government has increased its budget for the financial year 2022/2023.

The district council on Thursday approved a draft budget of 36.9 Billion shillings, an increment of 1.007 billion shillings up from the 35.9 billion shillings in the financial year 2021/2022. 

The draft budget was presented to the council by Kevin Joyce Atim, the Vice-chairperson, and also the leader of the Government Business. 

According to the budget, Education and Sports sector took a bigger share of the budget of 13.4 billion, followed by Health and Environment at 9.3 billion shillings. Trade Industry and Local Economic Development-(TILED) and Internal Audit got the least budget at only 59.5 and 36 million shillings, respectively. 

Atim also presented the expected Local revenue estimates of 246.4 million shillings.

“The sources of this fund shall come from the fees charges, miscellaneous, local service tax. Land fees, Kitgum General Hospital Private Wing, application fees in addition to [other] revenue sources,” Atim said. 

She also stated that despite the approval of the budget, the district is yet to receive the third budget call circular for the financial year 2022/2023, which is where they expect changes in the District Discretionary Equalization Grant-DDEG, which has been given to only two town councils. 

Atim says the lack of funding will affect the performance improvement plan and all unfinished DDEG projects might stall.

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 She notes that the lack of DDEG will affect the capital development in the district.  

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Atim notes that areas that will be most affected in the district are production and roads because their budget is very low.

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In the 2021/2022 financial year, Kitgum District Council approved a budget of shillings 35.9 billion.