Musasizi tasks accountants on fiscal discipline and accountability

What the report says

Finance Minister Henry Musasizi used the 31st Annual Seminar of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) in Entebbe on Sept. 2 to urge accountants to take a more active role in protecting public resources and improving fiscal discipline. According to The Independent Uganda, he said the profession should go beyond routine bookkeeping and become a strategic partner in government and institutional decision-making.

Musasizi said accountants are central to producing and checking financial information that helps public and private institutions monitor revenue, manage spending, safeguard assets and assess whether resources are delivering intended development results. He warned that weak financial reporting and poor accountability can harm government programmes and slow economic growth. He also called for stronger use of evidence in decision-making and for better tracking of public funds through the budget cycle to help reduce arrears and limit fiscal deficits.

The minister also encouraged accountants to adapt to digital tools such as financial management systems, blockchain and artificial intelligence, saying these technologies are changing how financial data is created and used. His remarks came at a seminar themed on transforming institutions and lives for sustainable growth, with nearly 2,000 participants in person and online, according to the report.

ICPAU President David Timothy Ediomu and chief executive Derrick Nkajja also stressed ethics, continuous learning and transparency, while noting that AI can assist with routine work but cannot replace human responsibility for integrity and judgment.