Ministry of Finance Launches National Budget Month for FY 2026/27

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has launched the National Budget Month for the Financial Year 2026/27, aimed at popularising the approved budget and promoting public participation in its implementation and oversight.

In accordance with the Public Finance Management Act, Cap. 171, the national budget is prepared through consultations with key stakeholders, including civil society organisations and development partners.

According to Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, preparation of the FY 2026/27 Budget Estimates began in July 2025 and involved nationwide consultations with a wide range of stakeholders.

These included President Yoweri Museveni, Cabinet, Parliament, civil society organisations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, local governments, development partners, the private sector, academia, community leaders, youth and women groups, persons with disabilities, and citizens.

“The input from the various consultations informed finalisation of the Budget for FY 2026/27, which was approved by Parliament on 24 April 2026 under the theme: ‘Full Monetization of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialization, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access,’” Ggoobi said.

Ggoobi noted that effective budgeting goes beyond preparing a sound budget and requires proper implementation to achieve the intended outcomes.

He explained that this calls for meaningful participation of stakeholders throughout the budget cycle, including planning, execution, monitoring and oversight.

“It is against this background that, following appropriation of the Budget, the Ministry collaborates with civil society organisations, development partners and other government institutions to popularise the approved Budget and account to citizens for key achievements during the current financial year in line with agreed priorities,” he added.

According to Ggoobi, this collaboration has been operational since 2018 to promote transparency and openness in the budget process. It also seeks to update citizens on the implementation of government commitments, highlight opportunities within the upcoming budget, gather public feedback to inform future policy decisions, and ensure timely and inclusive access to budget information.

He added that the initiative provides a platform for targeted engagements aimed at communicating the Budget effectively and empowering stakeholders to monitor and oversee its implementation.

These engagements are conducted through physical and virtual dialogues, radio and television talk shows, customised publications, and social media platforms with support from civil society organisations and participating government institutions.

Ggoobi said the Ministry, together with Budget Transparency and Accountability Partners, has been jointly planning activities for the National Budget Month and officially launched their implementation.

He noted that the initiative has contributed to increased public ownership of the Budget, improved utilisation of available opportunities, and stronger performance in international budget transparency assessments.

“Our rating in Budget Transparency improved from 58 percent in 2021 to 59 percent in 2023, compared to a global average of 45 percent. Budget Oversight also improved from 59 percent in 2021 to 67 percent, against a global average of 52 percent. However, affirmative action is still required on public participation in the budget process. Our rating reduced from 19 percent in 2021 to 15 percent in 2023, against a global average of 14 percent,” Ggoobi said.

With the 2025 Open Budget Survey currently underway, Ggoobi said the Ministry remains optimistic about achieving improved ratings in public participation, citizen engagement and accountability.