Sankwasa calls for budget timetable to end development funding delays
Urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa has urged parliament to establish a proper timetable for approving local authority and regional council budgets to prevent delays in transferring much-needed development funds.
Responding to questions from All People\'s Party (APP) president Ambrosius Kumbwa in the National Assembly recently, Sankwasa laid the blame for prolonged delays squarely at the feet of lawmakers, warning that communities are losing months of development due to late budget approvals.
“By the time we approve the budget, we are already two months [late] in the financial year. The first delay of transferring funds is in this very parliament,” he charged.
The minister stressed that ministries cannot release money until both the National Assembly and the National Council have debated and passed the appropriation bill, a process that often stretches well into the financial year.
“We need to come up with a proper timetable as to when to approve the budget,” he urged.
Misaligned financial years
The minister further pointed to the mismatch between central government and local authority financial years as a structural obstacle. While his ministry operates from April to March, councils follow a July-to-June cycle.
This misalignment, Sankwasa argued, creates gaps in planning and disbursement and can only be corrected through amendments to the Local Authorities Act.
In 2024, deputy minister of the urban and rural development ministry Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele explained that July is the designated month for budget releases to councils.
At the time, she noted that the Local Authorities Act allows councils to continue spending up to 25% of their previous year’s budget for three months until new funds are approved. Still, many local authorities have complained that late disbursements disrupt projects and procurement.
Call for accountability and reform
On the thorny question of capital budget allocations, Sankwasa admitted that there has been no formula in place for the past 35 years.
He noted that since he has only been in office for a short while, it has been impossible to introduce such a system overnight.
For now, allocations are guided by priorities such as ongoing multi-year projects, emergency interventions and critical infrastructure maintenance, including water and sewerage plants.
Sankwasa maintained that his ministry enforces accountability through monthly meetings with council chief executives.
He added that invoices must be accompanied by mandatory supporting documents before funds are processed, while outstanding reports are closely monitored to avoid roll-overs from previous financial years.
Despite these measures, the minister was adamant that parliament’s inefficiency remains the most damaging factor.
Responding to questions from All People\'s Party (APP) president Ambrosius Kumbwa in the National Assembly recently, Sankwasa laid the blame for prolonged delays squarely at the feet of lawmakers, warning that communities are losing months of development due to late budget approvals.
“By the time we approve the budget, we are already two months [late] in the financial year. The first delay of transferring funds is in this very parliament,” he charged.
The minister stressed that ministries cannot release money until both the National Assembly and the National Council have debated and passed the appropriation bill, a process that often stretches well into the financial year.
“We need to come up with a proper timetable as to when to approve the budget,” he urged.
Misaligned financial years
The minister further pointed to the mismatch between central government and local authority financial years as a structural obstacle. While his ministry operates from April to March, councils follow a July-to-June cycle.
This misalignment, Sankwasa argued, creates gaps in planning and disbursement and can only be corrected through amendments to the Local Authorities Act.
In 2024, deputy minister of the urban and rural development ministry Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele explained that July is the designated month for budget releases to councils.
At the time, she noted that the Local Authorities Act allows councils to continue spending up to 25% of their previous year’s budget for three months until new funds are approved. Still, many local authorities have complained that late disbursements disrupt projects and procurement.
Call for accountability and reform
On the thorny question of capital budget allocations, Sankwasa admitted that there has been no formula in place for the past 35 years.
He noted that since he has only been in office for a short while, it has been impossible to introduce such a system overnight.
For now, allocations are guided by priorities such as ongoing multi-year projects, emergency interventions and critical infrastructure maintenance, including water and sewerage plants.
Sankwasa maintained that his ministry enforces accountability through monthly meetings with council chief executives.
He added that invoices must be accompanied by mandatory supporting documents before funds are processed, while outstanding reports are closely monitored to avoid roll-overs from previous financial years.
Despite these measures, the minister was adamant that parliament’s inefficiency remains the most damaging factor.
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