The Ministry of Water and Environment has requested Shs 4 billion next financial year to meet its printing and photocopying costs as well as to entertain staff.
The request is contained in the ministry’s ministerial statement for 2026/27 that was tabled in Parliament last week.
According to the statement, the ministry wants Shs 2.3 billion for buying stationery, printing, and photocopying services, even when the majority of stationery products are manufactured from trees.
Last year, the ministry officials told Parliament that the ministry would cut down on the use of paper to save the climate, but this appears not to be the case. Last year, the ministry spent Shs 2.2 billion on stationery, and now it wants an additional Shs 100 million.
The ministry also intends to spend Shs 1.63 billion to entertain staff by way of discos and parties next financial year. The money the ministry will spend on entertainment is nearly four times the budgeted Shs 450 million for medical expenses.
