KAMPALA – The Government of Uganda plans to slash expenditures on organizing state-backed public holiday celebrations, effective from the next financial year (2026/2027).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The development was confirmed by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, while speaking at the closure of the ministry’s new recruits’ induction ceremony.
Dr. Ggoobi confirmed that state-backed celebrations for days including International Women’s Day, Labour Day, and Independence Day will be scrapped, and instead, funding will be reserved for only a select few religious functions.
The PSST (Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury) stated that the President will address the nation directly via radio and television from State House on those days, ensuring the national message is delivered without the hefty price tag of public rallies and ceremonies.
“This money will be saved and channeled into financing government priorities, specifically the ATMS (Agriculture, Tourism, Mining, and Services) and the enablers (infrastructure, science & technology, human capital, and security),” Dr. Ggoobi stated.
The event, held on Saturday, marked the induction of new recruits including economists, accountants, statisticians, internal auditors, procurement officers, inventory management officers, and microfinance officers.
Ggoobi charged the fresh cohort of government technocrats to become the new guardians of the public good, insisting that technical competence must be paired with discipline, integrity, accountability, and professionalism.
He challenged them to apply a rigorous internal litmus test before every action: always ensuring they safeguard public resources and advance the collective welfare of all Ugandans.
“Before you do anything, always ask yourself: Does what I’m going to do safeguard public resources and advance the collective welfare of the citizens of Uganda?” Dr. Ggoobi cautioned.
The permanent secretary also urged the young officers to break down silos, work collaboratively across all units, and keep the public interest at the centre of every decision.
The induction marks a strategic effort by the ministry to rebuild the technical backbone of Uganda’s financial management system, ensuring that the savings from rationalisation are managed with competence and ethical rigor.
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