Economy
Ggoobi Urges Government Planners to Align Budgets with National Development Priorities
At a high-level meeting convened by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development at Speke Resort, Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) Ramathan Ggoobi challenged government planners to ensure that institutional work plans and budgets are closely aligned with Uganda’s overarching national development strategy and deliver efficiency in service provision.
Addressing participants on Thursday, Ggoobi emphasised that all government policies and plans must be guided by a comprehensive framework, including the Tenfold Growth Strategy, National Development Plan III, Program Implementation Action Plans (PIAPs), MDA Strategic Plans, annual workplans, and budgets. He stressed that planners play a critical role in prioritising resources toward high-impact areas—referred to as ATMs and Enablers—that will drive Uganda’s socio-economic transformation agenda.
“As Planners, you ought to guide allocation of resources to essential areas and minimise accumulation of domestic arrears,” Ggoobi said, cautioning that culpable officers, including Accounting Officers, will face sanctions.
The PSST warned against common practices he termed budget games, which undermine efficiency in government planning and expenditure. These include:
- Padding Play – where MDAs request more funds than genuinely required.
- Crisis Card – exaggerating potential catastrophic outcomes if funding requests are not met.
- Mandate Masquerade – using organisational mandates to justify inflated budget requests.
“These practices distort planning, execution, and reporting. Planners must uphold integrity and ensure that resources are directed where they matter most,” Ggoobi emphasised.
Ggoobi also addressed concerns regarding the structure and professionalism of the Economist/Planner cadre. He confirmed that consultations are underway with the Ministry of Public Service to resolve structural issues and enhance the professional capacity of planners. A dedicated team, supported by the Ministry of Public Service and the National Planning Authority, has already been constituted to expedite this review.
“I have also directed Accounting Officers to facilitate the planning function across all Votes adequately,” he added, underlining the importance of equipping planners with the resources necessary to carry out their duties effectively.
Earlier, the Chairperson of Planners, Gideon Mugulusi, proposed the introduction of a planning conditional grant to support critical activities such as data management, monitoring, and evaluation. He noted that adequate funding for these functions is essential for improving the quality of government planning and ensuring that development priorities are met.
The meeting, which brought together planners from across government ministries, departments, and agencies, underscored a renewed focus on professionalism, accountability, and alignment of budgets to Uganda’s national development priorities. Officials noted that stronger planning systems are crucial for delivering on the government’s socio-economic transformation agenda and ensuring that public resources achieve measurable impact.
This directive from PSST Ggoobi signals the government’s commitment to streamlining planning processes, minimising inefficiencies, and fostering a results-oriented budgeting culture across all sectors.
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