Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi, clarified that the recent Shs37 billion supplementary budget allocated to the Munyonyo Commonwealth Convention Centre will not be used for construction. Instead, it will be dedicated to procuring Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment and booking services for guests attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.
Ms. Ntabazi appeared before Parliament’s Trade Committee to address questions about the budget allocation. MPs had sought clarification on how much funding had been allocated for construction.
The minister explained that the NAM Summit was a separate project from the construction agreement with Meera Investments Limited. The supplementary budget specifically addresses expenses related to hosting the summit, including ICT procurement, booking services, accreditation, and equipment rentals, according to Ntabazi.
The minister also apologized on behalf of the Ministry of Trade for the embarrassment MPs faced when they attempted to conduct an oversight visit to assess the progress of works at Munyonyo but were denied access to the premises by security personnel.
“I have heard from many members saying that the committee may struggle to get a budget because of [various reasons]. We are so sorry but we are human. Whenever there is a problem with a person in an organization, please, don’t punish the organization” she said.
