The World Bank has committed USD 200 million (about UGX 710 billion) to Uganda through the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to support the implementation of public investment in the country.
The funding would target the Public Management System (PIMS), a transformative reform aimed at improving value for money and curbing corruption in public procurement.
Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, explained that the funding is to be disbursed under a results-based framework, contingent on Uganda achieving agreed Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) and Intermediate Results Indicators (IRIs).
The announcement was made during the launch of PIM-PLUS, an enhanced reform programme targeting procurement and asset disposal processes; the areas identified as accounting for the largest share of corruption-related financial losses in government.
PIMS is designed to transform how public investments are planned, appraised, executed, and monitored. Unlike traditional expenditure-focused approaches, the system emphasizes results and tangible impact rather than merely tracking whether funds are spent.
“This new programme is about ensuring that public investments deliver measurable outcomes,” Ggoobi said, noting that resources would now be allocated basing on improved systems and institutional performance rather than expenditure alone.
“PIM-PLUS utilises our own government systems and disburses funds only when we achieve and verify the agreed-upon results,” Ggoobi explained. “This approach makes the programme more accountable, empowering, and better aligned with strengthening institutions to deliver real outcomes.”
The programme aims to tackle long-standing bottlenecks in public investment management, including weaknesses in project preparation, execution, monitoring, maintenance, asset management, and climate-related losses – currently estimated at over USD 140 million annually (UGX 497 billion).
Under the PIM-PLUS framework, USD 40 million (UGX 142 billion) will support the Project Preparation Facility under the National Planning Authority, enhancing feasibility studies and project readiness.
Another USD 160 million will finance priority investment projects aligned with National Development Plan IV (NDP IV) and Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, including implementation of the Automated Treasury Management Systems (ATMS) and other enabling infrastructure.
The programme will also provide training for public officers involved in procurement and project execution, alongside interventions to revive stalled projects and correct deficiencies in mismanaged ones.
According to the 19th edition of the World Bank Uganda Economic Update, titled, ‘Fiscal Sustainability through Deeper Reform of Public Investment Management,’ strengthening institutions, systems, and decision-making processes in public investment could yield significant economic dividends for the country.
