The level of government debt can profoundly affect a country’s economic stability and future growth trajectory. While the Government of Uganda remains vigilant about the risks linked to unsustainable debt levels and takes deliberate measures to prudently manage and monitor the size and cost of public debt, there is also a pressing need for ministries to devise strategies for cutting expenses, particularly when the country’s financial resources are strained.
To maximise the effective use of resources available within government institutions, a crucial step has been taken with the recent decision from Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, barring capacity development events (Seminars, Workshops and Conferences) in hotels. All ministries should take note of this directive as a model for careful resource optimisation to guarantee efficient resource management throughout the board for government operations.
On Tuesday while speaking at the launch of a 10-day campaign spotlighted the growing threat of preeclampsia, which has now eclipsed as a primary cause of maternal deaths, Dr Atwine directed that no more hotel seminars for health workers in disguise of capacity building.
She vehemently noted that any capacity-building program must be conducted within the hospitals at their workplace
“We don’t want to hear this thing of capacity building in hotels. If you want to do capacity building, you do it here, in the hospital. If you want to talk about acute care, go to the ward, not a hotel. We don’t want to hear anything like those things in workshops. We must optimize resources for the people who need them. Let the money spent on workshops be transferred to buy medical necessities at the ward,” she said.
According to Atwine, that’s how the landscape of this country will be transformed. “That’s how we are going to make a change, not in seminars or those big words ‘capacity building, strategic what..what and so on. Those things don’t work but they just hypnotize us… now is the time to wake up. And the letter is coming to partners if we see you taking our people to seminars to eat chapati and Mandazi, then you’re our enemy.”
Dr Atwine’s decision to outlaw capacity building in lodging facilities is a calculated attempt to control expenses and manage resources. In this way, the Ministry can save a lot of money on venue rental, catering, lodging, and other related expenses by doing away with the custom of holding these kinds of gatherings in hotels.
Moreover, the directive issued by Dr. Atwine emphasises how crucial it is for government institutions to place a high priority on accountability and budgetary responsibility. In a setting where funds are frequently few, ministries must take action to guarantee that the best possible distribution of monies is made to vital services and initiatives. With this approach, Ministries can improve their overall operational effectiveness and efficiency by reducing wasteful spending on hotel conventions and repurposing funds to prioritise areas.
Furthermore, Dr. Atwine’s directive is in line with larger initiatives that support accountability and openness in public administration. Ministries can increase public trust and confidence in government institutions by proactively reducing unnecessary spending and optimising the use of taxpayer cash. This in turn may help achieve the goals of sustainable development and better governance.
The Ministry of Health is managing its resources proactively and practically with Dr Diana Atwine’s instruction. This provides other ministries with a strong model to follow, highlighting the significance of responsible financial management and the effective use of resources to provide the best possible results for residents.
The government has given a lot of money to several government agencies over the years for purposes of capacity-building, benchmarking, and other similar initiatives. Studies show that hotels receive a significant share of this money since they are the usual locations for many conferences, workshops, and capacity-building programmes. Therefore, significant savings may be achieved if all ministries and government agencies adopt Dr. Atwine’s strategy. The savings might then be transferred to other areas, improving the provision of public services
By putting cost-cutting measures into place, ministries can increase their budgetary flexibility and better adjust to shifting market conditions or unforeseen financial difficulties. This flexibility is especially crucial in uncertain or downturning economic times, when ministries may have to restructure their expenditure plans to take into account new requirements or budgetary limits.
This strategy has also been used by prominent leaders who redeemed their countries from the tranches of debts and excessive and unnecessary spending; Germany’s Angela Merkel is well-known for emphasising budgetary restraint and efficiency in public spending throughout her time as chancellor. To cut back on wasteful spending, her government has enacted many austerity measures which helped her.
David Cameron, a British national: As prime minister, Cameron’s administration responded to the 2008 global financial crisis by enacting severe austerity measures. Among these were efforts to streamline government processes and reduce public spending.
Late Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli applied the same to redeem the economy of Tanzania and these are some of the factors that helped to graduate his country’s economy into a middle-income status.
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