*OPPOSITION TO MAKE ALTERNATIVE NATIONAL BUDGET*
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament *Hon. Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba* has revealed that the Opposition is adopting a new approach to the *national budget* .
Speaking at the ongoing 3 day retreat in Entebbe, Mr. Mpuuga stressed that they are moving away from the traditional practice of responding to the government’s proposals to developing a completely different *Alternative National Budget* .
The Nyendo-Mukungwe Legislator has said that the new approach is in line with their mandate to keep the *government in check*.
“ _It is our duty to deeply study the prepositions of the government and put some level of imagination and produce alternatives. The mandate is to produce alternatives but not to support, not to clarify and not in any way recommend or patch up government policies_ ,” said *Mpuuga* , adding that;
“ _We are not supposed to clean up their mess… our job is to offer citizens a cleaner and better alternative,_ ”
The new approach, according to Mpuuga has been conceived after realizing that the government mostly presents to Parliament recycled budget proposals.

“ _We remember the embarrassment Parliament suffered last Financial Year when ministers presented the same documents from the previous year with the only change being the financial year. The rest was the same including the preamble,_ ” Mpuuga emphasized.
He invited his ministers to appreciate their oversight role under the new programme-based planning and budgeting which was developed under the *Third National Development Programme (NDP III)*.
During the retreat, the *Shadow Cabinet* is going to generate priorities for the next financial year which will form the Opposition’s proposals in the *Alternative National Budget* to be unveiled to the country in *April*.
