Members of Parliament on the budget committee have rejected the proposal from Bugweri district Woman legislator Rachel Magoola to give the creative/entertainment industry Shs20 billion after spending two years without working. They instead want this money to go to the refurbishing and building state of art theatres.
This is after parliament’s committee on gender recommended that the government should stay the allocation of Sgs33 billion meant for construction of regional arts theatres saying that the ministry should first do studies on how much they will cost and where they will be set up.
Magoola rejected this saying this money should be re-allocated to the association of artists as many of them were badly affected by the 2 year lockdown and they have never been cushioned by government.
The MPs who sat on Thursday, reminded Magoola that they passed 7 billion shillings for artists, but the legislator informed colleagues that no artist received this money that was meant for online concerts.
She asked the committee to provide people in the creative industry with at least Shs20 billion to support people in the industry.
The MPs on the committee led by Kasilo county’s Elijah Okupa rejected the proposal and instead called for the redevelopment of the national theatre.
He was supported by Buikwe south MP Lulume Bayiga who also noted that it was high time the government copied from other countries and developed theatres so that they can start attracting people to enjoy the work done by artists.
The Koboko county MP James Baba informed legislators that culture is now the trend and he supports the idea of building performing centres.
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