The Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, has confirmed that Geraldine Ssali, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, will no longer serve as the accounting officer for the ministry. This decision was made in response to a recommendation by the Parliament, following an inquiry into the ministry's activities.
In August, Parliament had recommended the removal of Geraldine Ssali from her position due to her alleged failure to control irregular and improper use of funds allocated for renovation works at the Ministry of Trade offices in Farmer's House. The Parliamentary Trade Committee had accused Ssali of inflating the renovation cost by Shs2 billion without any formal or legal justification.
"The committee, therefore, finds that Geraldine Ssali is personally liable for the dubious and mysterious inflation of the estimated contract price from Shs4.664 billion to Shs6.2 billion." Additionally, the committee suggested that Ssali should be investigated for possible prosecution by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the irregularities in the renovation project. " The committee's report stated.
Responding to the Parliament's recommendation, Ramathan Ggoobi stated on Friday,
"Parliament conducted an investigation into the Ministry of Trade's activities and made recommendations, including the need to ensure accountability going forward. With the guidance of my technical advisors, we initiated the process to implement Parliament's recommendations."
Ggoobi clarified that while Ssali would retain her position as Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, she would no longer serve as the accounting officer. In this new capacity, Ssali will oversee the administration of the ministry but will not be responsible for financial matters.
Ggoobi emphasized, "She is still the Permanent Secretary until a different decision is made by the appointing authority. What we are discussing is her role as the accounting officer. I do not dismiss people but relieve them of the responsibility to manage finances while they continue in their substantive roles."
Geraldine Ssali, in response to the parliamentary inquiry, had previously suggested that disgruntled former employees of the ministry were attempting to mislead Parliament. She claimed that the committee had been regularly updated since February 2023 and expressed confusion over the ongoing investigation.
Ssali particularly criticized Everest Ahimbisibwe, a suspended Principal Assistant Secretary at the ministry, and Alfred Lapyem, suggesting that their disciplinary actions were the result of their own wrongdoing, including allegations of misappropriation of fuel and threats against colleagues.
With this development, the Ministry of Trade will need to designate a new accounting officer while Geraldine Ssali continues her role as Permanent Secretary, overseeing the administration of the ministry.
