Defence officials undergo training in Public Finance Management reforms

By Watchdog reporter

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Joint Chief of Staff (JCOS), Maj Gen Joseph Musanyufu, has in Friday closed the two-day Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs workshop (3-4th August) on Public Financial Management (PFM)Reforms held at the Ministry Headquarters Mbuya hill in Kampala.

Participants included financial heads of department, divisions, sections and some senior military leaders.

The Joint Chief of Staff noted that the workshop aims at identifying systems and controls that can be used to improve accountability and transparency in the use of public funds. He called for the need for transparency and reliable accounting systems to improve performance in all public departments, and further urged participants to build on the acquired Knowledge for improvements in fiscal management and service delivery.

Participants reviewed the following PFM reforms during the workshop; legal and regulatory frame work, fiscal systems and processes involved, human resource development and the desire to embrace technological advances to improve transparency and accountability. They further agreed that despite the current government PFM reforms that aim at increasing and sustaining performance, there should be continuous training efforts towards this cause.

The workshop drew different facilitators from other government financial divisions.

The workshop was earlier opened by the Minister of State for Defence in charge of General Duties, Col (Rtd) Charles Engola, who advised personnel dealing with finance to always act professionally and strictly adhere to their code of ethics.

The ministry of Defence and veterans’ affairs Senior Human Resource Officer, Mr. Cox Alfred Anguzi, thanked the UPDF leadership for facilitating the training and requested the ministry to constantly avail such trainings for performance enhancement.
Other participants, included Defence permanent secretary Mrs Rosette Byengoma, Under Secretary Finance and Administration Mrs Buturo Edith, UPDF Chief of Pensions and Gratuity Col Metland Bitumbika, UPDF Deputy Chief of Logistics Col Wilfred Jackson Mulondo, among other senior Defence ministry and UPDF officials.