The new appointed members of the Shadow cabinet have urged the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among to urgently recall Parliament to deal with the COVID19 situation.
Parliament’s two weeks suspension started this week on Monday and Deputy Speaker Among urged MPs to go back to their respective constituencies and lead the fight against COVID-19.
She announced how Parliament set up a National Covid19 Taskforce to push the Executive to account for Covid-19 money.
However, the Shadow Cabinet believes that as peoples’ representatives they must have an input in government COVID19 response interventions.
“After all it is only parliament that appropriates funds,” said Joyce Bagala, Minister of Information and Anti-Corruption in the Shadow Cabinet.
Meanwhile the Shadow cabinet wants State House budget cut to fund COVID-19 relief package for the vulnerable Ugandans. They want each household to Shs200,000 instead of Shs100,000.
This week government approved Shs53 billion as package for over 500, 000 vulnerable groups.
Among the identified groups that are set to benefit from the covid relief cash include; barmen, DJs, barmaids, waiters, waitresses, bouncers, gym and restaurant workers, food vendors in tax, bus parks and arcades, musicians, comedians, producers, promoters, salon and massage parlour employees, teachers and support staff in in both government and private schools, car washers, slum dwellers, street vendors, shoe shiners, orphans and vulnerable children among other groups.
Each house hold is set to receive Shs100,000 via mobile money starting July 6. Registration of the above groups started yesterday through Local Council authorities.