The Minister of State for Finance, Henry Musasizi has revealed that the government intends to revise the national budget after World Bank halted funding to Uganda over Anti-Homosexuality law.
According to the minister, emoluments and different salary obligations from the government will most likely be affected due after World Bank’s decision to drop from its beneficiaries list.
“Emoluments of public servants will be affected, we shall be coming here to ask for your approval on how we shall move forward in the current challenges,” he said.
“We took the firm decision and we agreed that we shall face the consequences. We shall be coming soon, I want to prepare your minds that very soon we are going to revise the budget and we shall be coming to you for support,” he added.
Amos Kankunda, the chairperson of the committee affirmed also reaffirmed the decision noting that Uganda is ready for the next phase of its challenges.
“I know you are aware that as a country, we have been slapped with stopping funding from World Bank, given the position we took as a country which we don’t regret for the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality law, we are on the right trajectory,” he said.
“We will find ways of surviving & as a committee, this is our responsibility since we handle majorly the supply side of the budget, to make sure we work with the Ministry to mobilize sufficient funds & work within our means to make sure the country moves on,” he added.
Bugiri Municipality legislator who moved the bill that was signed into a law in May this year, Asuman Basalirwa also urged the government to remain firm.
“God will help us survive, it is high time Uganda looked for more friends elsewhere,” Basalirwa said.
The US-based global lender on Tuesday revealed that it was suspending new loans to Uganda over what they considered to be among the world’s harshest laws targeting LGBTQ communities.
In a statement that attracted global concern, World Bank said that Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act “fundamentally contradicts” the institution’s values and that no new public financing would be presented to its board of directors for approval for the time being.
However, in response to World Bank statement on Wednesday, President Museveni who signed the country’s Anti-Gay Law in May noted that “Ugandans will develop with or without loans” further accusing World Bank of using money to try to “coerce” the government over its controversial anti-gay legislation.
“It is therefore unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money,” Mr Museveni who has been in power since 1986, said.
“We do not need pressure from anybody to know how to solve problems in our society,” he emphasized in a handwritten statement.
According to President Museveni, Uganda will continue discussions with the World Bank “so that they and we avoid this diversion if possible”.
The United Nations, foreign governments including the United States, and global rights groups have condemned the new law, which contains provisions making “aggravated homosexuality” a capital offence and imposes penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison.
