MPs Question Foreign Travel Rates for Domestic Trips by Ministry Officials

The Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) has raised concerns regarding Shs1.3 billion disbursed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This sum was reportedly paid to officials stationed at seven of Uganda’s diplomatic missions abroad for travel within their host countries, but at rates typically applied to international travel.

During a committee meeting chaired by Hon. Patrick Oshabe, MPs questioned the rationale behind applying foreign travel allowances for journeys undertaken domestically within the countries where these officials are posted. The committee sought to understand why local travel rates were not utilized.

Responding to the query, Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire explained that the ministry had sought guidance from the Ministry of Public Service. He argued that applying Uganda’s domestic travel rates to major international cities would be impractical and insufficient to cover the actual costs incurred by officials. For instance, travel between cities like Washington D.C. and Seattle in the United States would far exceed standard domestic allowances for accommodation and other expenses.

However, Mr. Bagiire noted that the Ministry of Public Service has yet to provide a formal response to their request for approval to use foreign travel rates for such domestic journeys. Hon. Oshabe has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to furnish documentary evidence of their formal request for clearance.

The committee also delved into other financial matters, including domestic arrears and discrepancies in the ministry’s financial records. A payment of US$2.76 million by the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Ministry towards Uganda’s African Union obligations also came under scrutiny.

Mr. Bagiire clarified that the payment was made to meet urgent obligations related to the African Union Commission Summit, as securing supplementary funding through normal channels was perceived as potentially time-consuming. The committee was also informed that the ministry requires over Shs25 billion annually for subscriptions to international organizations to prevent accumulating arrears.

Further examination of financial statements revealed a discrepancy between the reported Shs81 billion in contributions to international organizations and an Shs83 billion figure noted in the Board of Survey. The Head of Accounts attributed this difference to the verification status of the figures, stating that the financial statement figure was verified, unlike the Board of Survey data. This explanation led to further inquiries from the MPs and the Auditor General’s representative.