The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) has urged the Ugandan government to conduct a mandatory audit of all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) before proceeding with the proposed merger.
The plan involves streamlining the functions of 33 agencies back into their respective ministries, merging 63 agencies, and retaining only 61 across different sectors.
NEED Secretary-General Asuman Odaka expressed concern about potential mismanagement of taxpayer funds within various agencies and called for accountability before the merger takes place.
He acknowledged President Museveni’s claim that merging agencies with similar functions would save over Shs1 trillion, but argued that this amount pales in comparison to the money lost due to corruption within these agencies.
Odaka warned that the merger is unlikely to achieve its intended results unless the government addresses the rampant corruption within MDAs.
