Uganda: Finance Ministry Spent Global Fund Cash On Poverty Alleviation

from All Africa

New Vision (Kampala)

Emmy Allio
Kampala

The Ministry of Finance used the money it borrowed from the Global Fund (GF) to sensitise its staff on poverty eradication, The New Vision has learnt.

The GF money is meant to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Documents show that the finance ministry, which is the principle recipient of GF and overall coordinator and supervisor of the fund's activities, embarked on a health awareness campaign of its staff.

The ministry borrowed sh316,175,441 in two installments from the Ministry of Health. But according to the draft White Paper approved by the Cabinet last week, the ministry has only refunded sh100m.

In an April 22, 2005 letter written on behalf of the Secretary to the Treasury, the finance ministry's director of administration and finance, Betty Kasimbazi, gave a detailed programme of how millions of GF were spent on workshops.

Kasimbazi's invitation letter to the project coordinator for the Project Management Unit (PMU), Dr. Tiberius Muhebwa, said, "The ministry is organising a health awareness campaign, which is aimed at sensitising the ministry staff on keeping healthy to enhance productivity and eradicate poverty.

This is to invite you to attend and participate in the campaign, which is scheduled for April 28 and April 29, 2005," she said.

The PMU was responsible for overseeing the implementation of GF programme.

Lectures delivered during the workshop included "Critical concerns in implementing the public service HIV/AIDs policy' and 'stigmatisation at the work place' and 'Anti-Retroviral treatment: Accessing and Managing ARVs'.

Meanwhile, The New Vision has learnt that organisations owned by the minister without portfolio, Dorothy Hyuha, and the assistant coordinator of ISO and ESO, Brig. Elly Kayanja, are among the recipients of GF.

The Cabinet has ordered the organisations to refund the money and be probed further by CID and the IGG.

Hyuha's Bunyole Women Association borrowed sh20,700,000 and has been asked to refund it.

Kayanja's Kifamba Zukuka Progressive Association took sh37,992,500 and is to refund sh.27m.