Senate on Wednesday threatened to withhold funds meant for Presidency in 2004 if it was not satisfied as to how the 2013 allocations were spent. Senate Adhoc Committee on SURE-P made this threat after it discovered that key government officials failed to appear before it to give testimony over the handling of SURE-P fund.
The Adhoc Committee however threatened to approve zero allocation to Ministries, Departments and Agencies including presidency in 2014 budget if there is no justification for money earmarked for them in 2013 appropriation budget.
The Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on. Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Senator Abdul Lingi who warned the government agencies ahead of 2014 budget expressed dissatisfaction with absence of General head of Units in Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
He said the lawmakers will not appropriate any money for any agency that cannot justify spending of 2013 budget even Presidency will be given zero allocation in 2014 if the Senate is not satisfied with the spending of 2013 budgetary allocation.
He said it was sad that civil servants will see the letter of the Senate Committee and acknowledged it but will not appear before the committee.
” If you don’t have anything to hide it is in your interest for the Journalists to cover it unless you are have something to hide and the committee will not hesitate to uncover any shady deal.”
The Committee demanded for details of SURE-P money spent by MDG between January in 2012 till December 2013 insisting that the budget of SURE-P must appropriated by the National Assembly.