World Bank UGIFT Implementation Support Mission Ends
The World Bank team has concluded the one week-long implementation support mission (4th to 12th November 2024) of Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program for Results (UGIFT)
The World Bank (WB) mission team was led by Barbara Magezi Ndamira, Senior Public Sector Specialist and Diana Mwikali Nzioki, the Financial Management Specialist to assess the implementation progress of the various activities under the program after restructuring.
The four UGIFT result areas are:
- Enhancing adequacy and equity of financing for Local Government services.
- Improved oversight of service delivery by the Central Government.
- Improvement in Management of services by Local Governments.
- Improvement in delivery of services and infrastructure by Local Governments.
The World Bank team and the relevant government officials visited the districts of Kiryandongo, Nakaseke, Kole and Lira to assess the progress on the infrastructure sub-projects and also interact with the Local Government Leaders.
At the UGIFT Steering Committee meeting held to discuss the findings of the mission, the WB team leader said after restructuring, the program has made satisfactory progress towards achieving the program development objectives with 25 out of 31 (81%) targets met and 23 out of 34 (68%) intermediate indicators achieved.
She also noted improvement in timelines of releases of resources to Local Governments and enhanced adequacy of financing with 111% overall growth between FYs 2017/18 and FY 2023/24. Between these financial years, there has been exponential growth in fiscal transfers from UGX 1,789 billion to UGX 3,771 billion.
Magezi also highlighted the commendable progress on infrastructure development noting that 114 out of 259 seed schools have been completed and are now functional. As a result, enrolment in seed secondary schools has increased from 27,967 recorded in 2022 to 62,670 learners enrolled by April,2024.
In the health sector, she reported that 195 out of 250 health centre IIs have been upgraded to health centre IIIs. Over 25,639 deliveries were conducted between March and December,2024 in these upgraded health centres.
In addition, she reported that Irrigation equipment has been provided to 4333 farmers and a total of 4,972 water access points have been established, serving 866,125 persons.
Some of the challenges that must be addressed include; delays in completion and operationalization of investments in terms of staffing, access to utilities, medicines and operational funds, in addition to the emerging requirements for operation and maintenance of infrastructure and equipment.
The Acting Director Budget, Hannington Ashaba said UGIFT program has increased access to social services (health, education and water), adding that implementing entities should file all their progress reports and expedite completion of the remaining infrastructure sub-projects.
Ashaba said the Government of Uganda has initiated discussions on a successor program as the current UGIFT program comes to an end in December,2025.