A parliamentary committee has asked government to prioritise programmes that have a direct impact on youth employment; recommending that UShs 15 billion be availed for more bursaries to students aspiring for vocational and technical education.
According to the Committee on the Budget, the National Household and Population Census, 2014 put youth unemployment at 67.5%, much higher than 21.3%, the figure given in the Budget Framework Paper.
The observations and recommendations are contained in the Report of the Budget Committee on the National Budget Framework Paper for the financial year 2017/2018 – financial year 2021/2022.
“The Committee recommends that government should prioritise programmes that have a direct impact on youth employment. A review of the national curriculum should be urgently undertaken to ensure that emphasis is put towards practical skills,” said Hon. Amos Lugoloobi (NRM, Ntenjeru North), the Chairperson of the Committee on the Budget.
Lugoloobi said that tight monetary policy has helped contain core inflation within the range of Bank of Uganda, but recommended that monetary authorities continue to closely monitor all factors that trigger inflation and its adverse effects.
The committee also recommended that government immediately reviews tax exemptions, widens the tax base, and persistently improves tax administration in order to ensure growth in domestic revenue collections over the medium term.
It was noted that the budget priorities for the next financial year should include the construction of oil road infrastructure, food production and productivity, export promotion through value addition and enhancement of revenue collection.