The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | All bills passed by the 10th Parliament but have not yet been assented to by the President have automatically lapsed, Speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah ruled today.
Speaker Oulanyah told parliament today that all the bills that have lapsed both Govt and Private have to be reintroduced. This includes the NSSF bill on midterm access, that despite securing a change of heart from President Yoweri Museveni in August, had not been formally assented to.
President Museveni last month agreed to the workers mid-term access to their saving in the National Social Security fund but directed the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi to make changes to the NSSF bill and return it for consent.
Speaker Oulanyah now says all the bills that have lapsed both government and Private have to be reintroduced. This includes the NSSF bill on midterm access.
Several other bills especially the gender bills that were passed by the 10th Parliament like the succession bill, the sexual offences bill have been affected.
The Speaker guided that “all Bills that were passed by the 10th Parliament and are pending presidential assent, if that bill is returned by the President in accordance with Article 91 of the constitution but outside the term of the Parliament that.. passed that bill, that bill is considered business that lapsed in the 10th Parliament and therefore must be reintroduced to Parliament.”
“I invite the Attorney General to closely scrutinize article 91 of the Constitution together with Administration of Parliament Act in order to propose a harmonization in processes in regard to assent. In the meantime, the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline should look at this matter and plug those loopholes that we are now confronted with,” he said.
Oulanyah said that during his communication at the State of the Nation Address, he made reference to business that remained incomplete by the 10th Parliament.
“I noted that whereas that was the 2nd sitting of the House the first one having been the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, ordinarily a motion should have been moved in that sitting to reinstate business that lapsed with the 10th Parliament in line with Rule 203 and Rule 235(2) of the Rule of Procedure.”
Nssf midterm access has to be for all savers who have clocked 45 years and have saved it for 10 years. This government has failed to set the wage bill for all workers. most nssf contributors earn between 300-6000 shillings per day,funny enough its this very government that finds workers saving so useful to it than the workers who tolled day and night in order to contribute to nssf.In away the governmentbenefits so much from this fund so Midterm access should come as a token of thanks to the workers who have been saving this money. There is no way midterm access can affect the fund as some ugandan think.Do they want to tell us that our monthly contribution to nssf begins and ends with midterm access for savers !!! no !! we shall continue saving.We need our money.H.E YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVEN said that our money should be paid to us
In fact as its very well known that most contributors others lost their jobs and others salaries were slashed by some good percentage and this are the same people struggling with life due to covid19 pandemic. If the 10th parliament passed the bill then why is the speaker interested to retable the bill again? B’se they are doing well, the don’t care a bout us who have done and scarifies the little from our earning. Mr.Specker the school is opening next year we need the money to take our children back to study.