The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has met with Local Development Partners, members of the private sector, civil society representatives, and academia to consult on the Budget Strategy for the Financial Year 2026/27.
The meeting, chaired by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), Ramathan Ggoobi, emphasized the need for inclusive collaboration to shape a budget that supports Uganda’s economic transformation and sustainable development.
Ggoobi noted that the successful formulation and implementation of the FY2026/27 Budget Strategy requires strong partnerships not only within government but also with key stakeholders.
He stressed that stakeholder insights, evidence-based policies, and alignment with national strategic priorities are vital to ensuring that every shilling spent delivers meaningful impact.
According to Ggoobi, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector play an essential role in shaping public policy, promoting accountability, and advancing inclusive development through research, community engagement, implementation support, and advocacy.
The PSST reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving full monetization of the economy by transitioning 33 percent of households currently in subsistence farming into the money economy.
He explained that this would be achieved by unlocking the binding constraints to sectoral growth in agro-industrialization, tourism, minerals, and science, technology, and innovation (ATMS sectors). Strengthening these growth drivers, he said, would enhance productivity and resilience while positioning Uganda as a competitive player in regional and global markets.
Ggoobi highlighted that FY2026/27 will mark the second year of implementing the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as Uganda’s last development plan aimed at delivering on the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
It is also the first plan to operationalize the Tenfold Growth Strategy, the government’s long-term vision to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Under this strategy, the government seeks to unlock opportunities across priority sectors, boost investment, and drive structural transformation.
In addition to monetization and growth, the PSST underscored the importance of enhancing domestic revenue mobilization through improved tax administration and broadening the tax base. He said fiscal consolidation remains a central priority, with a focus on expenditure efficiency, fiscal discipline, value-for-money spending, and results-based budgeting.
He further emphasized the need for strategic public investment in key enablers of economic growth, including infrastructure development in roads, railways, energy, and water for irrigation, as well as investments in human capital to strengthen education, skills, and health outcomes.
The PSST also noted that strengthening Public Financial Management (PFM) systems remains a critical aspect of the government’s fiscal strategy. This will be done in line with the Public Finance Management Act, the Charter of Fiscal Responsibility, and broader reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and effective budget implementation.
Ggoobi called for deeper policy integration and coherence across sectors and levels of government to ensure that planning, budgeting, and implementation are better aligned with Uganda’s development priorities.
Development partners, through a joint statement delivered by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Leonard Zulu, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Uganda’s efforts to sustain and accelerate development outcomes.
They pledged to work closely with the government to enhance resource utilization and efficiency while backing Uganda’s aspirations to increase domestic revenue mobilization, expand private sector investment, and broaden the tax base.
The partners also highlighted their proposed priorities for FY2026/27, which include human capital development, youth employment, inclusive and equitable green growth, improved governance and accountability, and enhanced debt sustainability and fiscal resilience.
Private sector players used the consultations to call on the government to prioritize the ATMS sectors and their value chains, alongside other economic enablers, to stimulate investment and competitiveness. They stressed that supporting these sectors would not only create jobs but also strengthen Uganda’s position in regional and global markets.
Civil society representatives, led by Julius Mukunda, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), urged the government to consolidate gains in service delivery and governance reforms.
He called for further investment in e-governance services and automation to improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and strengthen institutional capacity.
Mukunda also emphasized the need to improve the capacity of government votes to absorb allocated funds effectively and to enforce national service delivery standards to ensure that public resources translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
The consultations mark a critical step in shaping a budget that reflects Uganda’s economic aspirations and social priorities. With the Tenfold Growth Strategy at its core, the FY2026/27 Budget is expected to focus on unlocking the country’s growth potential, driving inclusive development, and aligning national plans with global development targets under Agenda 2030.
The outcome of these engagements will guide government decisions on resource allocation, fiscal policy, and investment priorities as Uganda works toward building a resilient, competitive, and inclusive economy.