On Thursday 13th June 2024, the Minister of finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija delivered the budget speech for the financial year 2024/25.
This Budget is the fifth and last to implement the Third National Development Plan (NDPIII) and according to the Minister, the government hopes it will set the foundation for expanding Uganda’s GDP from about $ 50 billion in
FY2022/23 to $ 500 billion by the year 20401.
A great dream, one must say.
The minister admitted there are many risks to Uganda’s growth prospects that require urgent mitigation. Most notable among them is climate change. He confirmed that climate change is one of the biggest threats to the growth and development, as it has diminished agricultural production and imperilled infrastructure development.
He, however, stated that the government is working hard and fast to minimise thee risks through implementing strict climate change adaptation measures, exploring cheaper climate finance options, and getting frugal (which we
certainly don’t believe). The Government is too big, too corrupt and too extravagant to confront a crisis like the climate catastrophe.
Some of the climate change mitigation measures mentioned included the intention of government to restore 42,450 hectares of degraded wetlands along the Awoja, Kandekye-Ruhorobero, Nchwera, Chambura, Kiruruma, Naigombwa, Kibimba, Tochi, Aswa, Sezibwa, Mayanja, Muzizi, Mpanga and Lumbuye water systems; the allocation of Shs. 516.78 billion in the financial year 2024/25 budget for climate change mitigation activities, natural resources protection and preservation, environmental protection and water resources management.
The government further promised to enhance green financing to ensure adequate climate adaptation and related mitigation. This will be done by further capitalising Uganda Development Bank (UDB) with an additional Shs. 55 billion.
These signs might tempt one to think of a government committed to combating climate change, environmental protection and preservation through pledges as aforementioned until we ‘stumble’ upon its intention to provide a whopping Shs. 920.86 billion for the oil and gas (climate wrecking fossil fuels) in FY2024/25. This, compared to the Shs. 516.78billion (reduced from Shs. 2.2 trillion in FY2023/2024) allocation to climate change, environment, natural resources and water, leaves one wondering about the seriousness of our government towards the battle against climate change and its effects.
The problem here is that, besides underfunding, the efforts towards fighting climate change and its effects are negatived by the heavy funding being allocated to the oil and gas sector, a global leader in pollution and environmental destruction, while the natural resources sector––on which the economy of Uganda, our own, and future lives depend gets reduced funding!
Context
In the budget for the Financial Year 2023/2024, the government had:
- Committed and allocated Shs. 2.2 trillion for food security, irrigation, climate change mitigation, value chain development, agricultural research and disease control, among others.
- Promised development of small scale solar-powered irrigation schemes to address climate change and ensure food security.
- Promised to prioritise environmental conservation, restoration and protection of degraded water catchment areas and forest cover.
The Financial Year 2024/2025 budget delivers mere mosquito kicks against the climate crisis. It kicks nature in the teeth since it invests more money in the causes of the climate crisis than the solutions. The government has slashed the climate budget by more than half from Shs. 2.2 trillion in Financial Year 2023/2024 to Shs. 516.78 billion in the Financial Year 2024/2025.
We can do more for the environment. Nature demands more.
The author is a lawyer, poet and climate change activist.
