The speaker of parliament has ordered that Hon Rebecca Kadaga has directed the Minister of Finance to pay the Ugandan traders who supplied goods to South Sudan.
Parliament in 2019, agreed to pay 900 billion shillings to traders that supplied goods and services to the South Sudan government between 2008 and 2010.
However, the Minister for Finance Matia Kasaija bluntly told Parliament the same parliament that approved the payment that the government does not have money to pay the traders.
This prompted the legislators to fire back at the Minister warning him to honor a decision made by parliament and desist from withdrawing.
In fact the candid Kampala Central MP Mohammed Nsereko demanded that Kasaija either clears the traders or resigns for failure to clear Ugandan traders who supplied goods to South Sudan.
Nsereko insisted that the Minister was under obligation to clear the traders as per a resolution at parliament.
Uganda in a 2010 mutual agreement with South Sudan resolved to clear the debt and treat it as a loan to the government of South Sudan.
The money was to be paid back within five to 10 years at a six percent interest rate after the first year.
Kadaga finally directed that the government pays the traders since Parliament’s decisions stand and cannot be withdrawn.
She also warned that failure to adhere to the decision would lead to a further reaction from parliament.
