PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REFORM

In order to implement the Public Financial Management (PFM) Reform Strategy 2018/19-2022/23, Uganda is launching the basket-financed Resource Enhancement and Accountability Programme (REAP). The Financial Cooperation supports target areas of REAP that implement the guidelines of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for Development Finance with a focus on strengthening public finance, as also taken up by the Marshall Plan with Africa of the BMZ with regard to reducing corruption through efficiency, transparency and accountability. These include in particular the following areas: 1. improving public investment management 2. strengthening supervision (Office of the Auditor General) To this end, administrative structures will be restructured in public investment management and IT systems will subsequently be introduced. In an environment of overlapping responsibilities, unclear workflows and parallel structures, the reorganization of workflows will result in a considerable improvement in efficiency and transparency in public administration. This significantly limits the opportunities for corruption and misuse of funds. The Ugandan Office of the Auditor General is already successfully digitalizing new workflows under the current FINMAP project. In addition to the continuation of digitization, measures are planned to promote the independence and governance of supervision (e.g. training in the use of the audit software and procurement of an IT platform for monitoring and evaluating the Court's audit recommendations). The German Government has committed EUR 10.0 million for participation in the PFM reform. The commitment is to be implemented through annual payments into the REAP basket in up to four financial years (2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23).