A Private members bill is a proposed law moved or introduced to parliament by a back bench members of parliament or committes.
The 11th parliament has gone on record of introducing more private members bills than any other parliamentary session.
Does it mean the Executive is sleeping on the job or it’s a wake up call that we need more robust research professionals in the public sector? It puzzles me every time am glued on the screen to follow Parliamentary proceedings, a private member of parliament is seeking leave of parliament to introduce a private members bill.
It’s now the order in the 11th parliament. Just in their first year in parliament, they passed 23 bills and over 50% of these were Private members bills.
The Executive needs to wake up or else, a lay person might not understand what it means and implies and can easily say parliament is doing the work of the Executive.
The disagreement exhibited between the Executive and Legislature especially on two bills meant that parliament is driving the Executive without speed Governor and as if they’re always caught offgaurd.
The Hon Magogo bill Vs the one of Hon. Peter Ogwang where they had to harmonise the two bills, then the Hon. Asuman Basalirwa homosexuality bill Vs the Deputy attorney general disagreements on certain clauses that almost caused an uproar in parliament.
I must commend the MPs for the zeal and equally put my request for the Amendment of the Local government Act to provide for reintroduction of the Graduated Tax head to enable local governments survive.
My opinion is, I will support a private members bill to amend the local government Act and re introduce Graduated Tax as I see a number of local governments limping.
During my time when I worked with local government( 1994-2001), a sub county was financially more powerful than most of the current Districts because there was an obvious source of income for the local authorities.
Currently, you see sub counties collecting 3m for the entire year and you wonder how they will deliver services to the community. The resources that government sends down from the center is in most cases conditional grants, salaries and payments predetermined with little flexibility for the leaders to implement their manifesto.
The abolition of Graduated tax equally brought a lot of laxity amongst the community because they feel they are not obliged to work, nothing is pushing them unlike our times when it was a must that you must have disposable income on which a portion of it goes to the Graduated tax.
These days, instead the community is waiting for the affirmative action programs like PDM, Emyooga, YLP etc. to enable them survive. Yes they’re good but they need to be complimented.
With dwindling grants and loans, we need to think outside the box for the local governments to survive or else, productivity growth can never be sustained when there’s nothing pushing us.
So dear members of parliament, I will be happy when you amend the local government Act, to re introduce the Graduated Tax head to solve the current financial puzzle for the Lower level local governments.
All these have happened simply because these bills are not introduced by the Executive.
The writer, Henry Munaaba Dhikusooka is an Economist, Educationist and Director of St. Michael Schools – Wakiso.
