Joyce Namugambe
The opposition party Forum for Democratic Change has expressed dissatisfaction over the new supplementary budget passed by parliament which they say is away of burdening the country with heavy debt loads.
This comes at a time when parliament passed supplementary budget of over 4 trillion shillings and among the things to be worked on with this budget is students loan scheme of 13 billion shillings, 485 billion for state house, the Non Alignment Movement together with G77 Summits, among others.
Speaking to the press at party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, the Fdc Deputy President for Eastern region Margret Wokuri Madanda expressed concern over the increasing debt burden imposed on the country by the government which she says will turn Ugandans into debt slaves affecting the future generations and the governments to come.
Margret revealed that by August this year, the country had 88.8 trillion shillings debt burden, and before it is fully cleared, parliament has passed another supplementary budget which is to end in more debts to the country. She added that if the government wants to see the country’s young generation get educated, it should be able to provide free education and if not, the students loan scheme should be availed to all students irrespective of whether science or Arts students, and not only to Makerere University students, but also to students in other higher learning institutions.
However, she expressed concern over the government planners who did not include the Non Alignment movement and G77 summits into the main budget and included it in the new supplementary budget yet it had to take place before the Covid 19 Lockdown.
On the other hand, Margret revealed that the party has received calls from members in different parts of the country reporting about people who use FDC flag to do party structure elections and informed the public that FDC as a party ended the party structure elections on 6/10/2023 and its not carrying out any further party structure elections.
She added that whoever is doing such activities is doing them on their own without party consent, revealing that the remaining party structures and gap filling will be done after the road map that will be drawn from the National Council which is to be held on 15/12/2023 at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi.
However, she warned that if some of the people involved in the act of tarnishing the party name and going against the party rules and guidelines are proved to be party members, they will be taken to the party disciplinary committee for it to decide on the suitable punishment for such members, that is if they are proved guilty.
Among the activities to be done by the party towards the end of 2023 is a NEC meeting on Wednesday this week, Xmas carols on Thursday, and the National council on Friday.
