Parliament is in advanced stages of deciding on the House’s latest plan to trim allowances of lawmakers who persistently abscond plenary sittings.
The plan reiterated by Speaker Anita Among yesterday during plenary will chiefly affect legislators who repeatedly dodge plenary sittings without the knowledge and clearance of the Speaker and office of her deputy Thomas Tayebwa.
Ms Among argued that the move not only meant plough sanity back into Parliament which she has been saying works for the ordinary people, but also compel legislators to respect voters and taxpayers’ money from which their salaries are drawn.
The Speaker however, disclosed that the plan will be subjected to discussion before the Parliament’s business committee which she chairs and later be voted upon for the final decision.
The 11th Parliament has a total of 526 MPs however, less than half of the number normally attends plenary.
Besides monthly payment, every MP is entitled to Shs50,000 for every committee sitting that is attended and these are consolidated together with allowances for plenary sittings consolidated with their monthly pay.
