Members of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection have decried proposed budget cuts on the senior citizens’ grant for the next financial year.
The Chairperson of the forum, Flavia Kabahenda Rwabuhoro described the cuts as “extreme” and would subject the elderly persons to utmost despair, vulnerability and even early death.
The National Budget Framework Paper (NBFP) for Financial Year 2023/24 reflects funding shortfalls towards social protection interventions in the country.
This has largely been attributed to a recent government policy to cut all subventions by 80 per cent.
Kabahenda said the current budget requirement for the elderly grant of 306,516 beneficiaries is Shs121 billion however, the NBFP indicates an allocation of Shs24 billion which is just about 20 percent of the required financing.
She said this while addressing a press conference at Parliament over the possible predicament that beneficiaries of social protection interventions are likely to face in the new financial year.
Currently, a total of 306,516 older persons are benefiting from the grant across the country.
The number is anticipated to increase given ongoing interventions such as registration of eligible members and correcting potential members’ details on the National ID.
