By Ivan Mubiru
Members of Parliament sitting on the Public Accounts Committee have grilled Pius Bigirimana, Ministry of Gender Permanent Secretary over failure to compensate public servants injured in line of duty.
The Auditor General’s Report indicated arrears amounting to Shs4 billion in payments to public servants injured in the line of duty.
The committee chairman Gerald Karuhanga (MP Ntungamo Municipality) said the former public servants filed their requests many years ago but the ministry refused to address them.
“I see claims of 1993, 1997 and 2003 which have not been paid, yet I see people of 2008 and after who have been paid. What is the criteria of payment?” he inquired.
However, Bigirimana said that the arrears are as a result of non-budgeted for claims filed by government workers.
“We budget for a certain amount but the claims exceed our budget and we cannot stop people from getting injured on job, nor can we stop them from complaining,” Bigirimana said.
He said that the Ministry mostly responds to claims on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, although they this can be waived for special cases.
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