Parliamentary Committee Demands Explanation from Trade Ministry's Permanent Secretary Amid Headquarters Transfer Controversy

The Trade, Tourism, and Industry Parliamentary Committee has recently taken action regarding a contentious issue surrounding the transfer of the Ministry headquarters. The committee has tasked Geraldine Ssali, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperative, with providing clarification on claims of ministerial involvement in the attempted deal to relocate the headquarters from Farmer's House, a government building, to a rented space at Kingdom House.

 The committee's inquiry stems from concerns raised about the transparency and decision-making process behind the proposed relocation. According to Ssali, it was State Minister for Industries, David Bahati, who informed her that Farmer's House had been condemned, 

The Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry met officials from three Ministries in relation to the funds meant for the relocation of the Ministry of Trade headquarters and the procurements of the five vehicles for the Ministers under the Ministry of Trade.
The officials were from the Ministries of Works and Transport, of Finance and the Ministry of Trade were led by Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali.

The Chairperson of the Committee Mwine Mpaka first informed legislators that the office of CID has been directed to process a file for Tom Opio an office attendant at the Ministry of Trade as they wait for the guidance of the DPP.
The committee then tasked the Principal Assistant Secretary Everest Ahimbisibwe and former Head of Procurement Lapyem to explain the circumstances of the decision to shift the Ministry from the government building to privately rented premises that were going to cost the taxpayer Shs8b shillings per year.

https://twitter.com/nilepostnews/status/1681564373494398978In her submission, Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali told the committee that Minister David Bahati asked her to quicken the process of shifting the Ministry headquarters to a rented premise on her first day at the Ministry.
Ssali said her effort to get formal documents from the Managers of the two buildings was futile hence her decision to cancel the proposed deal.

The Permanent Secretary also told the Committee that she landed on a document where some officials at the Ministry had asked for a supplementary of 20 billion shillings to renovate the Farmers House instead of the 6.2bn shillings that were recommended by the Ministry of Works.
The public eagerly awaits the response from the Permanent Secretary, as it will provide insight into the circumstances surrounding the headquarters transfer controversy. It is a crucial opportunity for the government to address concerns, rebuild trust, and reaffirm its commitment to serving the best interests of the nation.