The National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA – Uganda) supplies most of the government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) internet through the National Backbone Infrastructure but it turns out they’re not good at remitting their dues. This comes in a report published by the New Vision citing how legislators on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) called out MDAs for failure to clear an outstanding debt of over UGX 11.7B owed to NITA – Uganda.
This comes amid the Auditors General’s report of FY 2012/2013 and FY 2013/2014 which is under review by the same committee that outlines how the authority had budgeted to collect UGX 12B for the supply of internet to MDAs, only to be paid UGX 448M. Surprisingly this was remitted by just 9 of the 22 MDAs causing a shortfall of UGX 11.7B to the authority.
This was further confirmed by NITA- Uganda’s Executive Director, James Saaka who appeared before the committee together with the authorities board to answer queries raised by the report.
Asked about naming the MDAs in arrears, Saaka advised that he will avail the list later since he did not have it with him by then. On further questioning about how the authority he leads sought to recover the monies, he said that he always sends them reminders and has also involved Matia Kasaija, the finance minister to no avail. Also the absence of legalities for one government entity to sue the other was out-ruled by the ED when further questions were raised on why they couldn’t take the defaulting agencies to court.
The same NITA – Uganda is just from being given a green light by the Parliamentary Committee on ICT to implement the Missing Links Project.
