Uganda’s top finance technocrats challenge planners to end “Budget Games” and align work to national goals
Ramathan Ggoobi speaking to Central and Local Government planners
Senior government technocrats have called on planners across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to align their work to Uganda’s long-term development agenda while guarding against waste and manipulative budgeting practices.
Speaking at a meeting of central and local government planners organised by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) at Speke Resort, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) Ramathan Ggoobi warned against what he termed “budget games” that undermine credibility and efficiency in service delivery.
Among these, he highlighted “padding play” requesting more funds than are actually required and the “crisis card,” where agencies exaggerate consequences if their requests are denied. Another common tactic, he noted, is “mandate masquerading,” when MDAs over emphasise their mandate to justify inflated budgets.
“All government policies and plans must be guided by the Tenfold Growth Strategy, the National Development Plan, Program Implementation Action Plans, MDA strategic plans, annual workplans and budgets,” Ggoobi said. He urged planners to prioritise critical areas known as ATMs (Areas That Matter Most) and enablers, in line with Uganda’s socio-economic transformation agenda.
The PSST cautioned that both planners and accounting officers will be sanctioned if found culpable of misallocations or the accumulation of domestic arrears. He further directed accounting officers to ensure adequate facilitation of planning units across all government votes.
On concerns about the structure and professionalism of the planning cadre, Ggoobi revealed that a review process has begun in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and the National Planning Authority, with a dedicated team already constituted. He also hinted at phased salary enhancements for planners, alongside efforts to address skill gaps and inadequate tools.
Closing the meeting, Minister of State for General Duties Henry Musasizi reinforced the message, urging planners to concentrate resources on ATMs and enablers, which he said are critical to the success of the ruling NRM government. He also pressed planners to take an active role in combating corruption, mischarges, unnecessary supplementary budgets and related financial malpractice.
“I want to urge you to be useful planners, planners who are relevant,” Musasizi said, adding that professionalisation of the cadre remains a priority.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Planners Union, Gideon Mugulusi, appealed to government to address long-standing challenges faced by the profession, including capacity gaps, salary disparities, financial and logistical constraints, and the absence of a clear planning structure. He proposed the introduction of a conditional grant to facilitate planning activities such as data management, monitoring and evaluation.
The meeting followed a recent engagement between MoFPED and all accounting officers on budget execution for the 2025/26 financial year, underscoring the ministry’s effort to strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure value for money in government programmes.
