BY JOACKIM KULE
The Urban Authorities’ Association of Uganda has requested government to provide a sufficient wage bill that would facilitate the recruitment of staff in urban councils.
The association comprises the City Clerks, Mayors, Speakers, Division Clerks, Division Chairpersons and their Speakers among other officials.
Its members are in Kasese district for their 55th Annual General Assembly which is taking place under the theme, “Building inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Urban Authorities in Uganda, a call for everyone.”
The two – day Annual General Assembly started on yesterday (Thursday) at the Boma Grounds in Kasese town and will end today.
In his address to the Minister of State for Local Government, Hon. Victoria Businge Rusoke, the President of the Urban Authorities’ Association of Uganda, Dr. Wilson Sanya, noted that the Urban Councils were facing a challenge of low staffing levels, thus significantly affecting service delivery.
According to him, the staffing levels range from 30-65% of which most of the newly created cities have not been able to recruit even when they have approved staff structures.
Dr. Sanya who is also the Mayor for Koboko Municipality, told the Minister that all the newly created Town Councils across the country are greatly affected by low staffing to the extent that most of them stand at 20%.
He also appealed for enhanced salaries for both the political and civil servants in order for them improve their living standards.
Responding to the concerns, Hon. Victoria Businge Rusoke, the Minister of State for Local Government, asked them to present their wage bills to the Ministry of Public Service so that it grant permission to individual councils to recruit more staff.
She also told them that the issue of salary increment was proposed in the budget cycle but the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development reported that there was no money.
ENDS