PDM beneficiaries in Fort Portal City urged to invest in dairy, poultry and piggery
This advice follows the discovery by programme assessors that many recipients of the funds provided under the programme had registered value addition as their business focus but had no tangible activities to demonstrate
FORT PORTAL, March 12, 2025 – As the Parish Development Model [PDM] enters its third phase, beneficiaries in Fort Portal City have been urged to focus on sustainable enterprises such as dairy farming, poultry, and piggery. This advice follows the discovery by programme assessors that many recipients of the funds provided under the programme had registered value addition as their business focus but had no tangible activities to demonstrate.
During a meeting held at Kyebambe Model Primary School on Monday, Dr. Stanley Businge, the Fort Portal City Production Officer and PDM Focal Person, expressed concern over the misuse of funds in previous phases of the programme.
The official noted that the worst-performing ward, Bazaar, had many of the programme beneficiaries falsely claiming to be engaged in value addition, only for assessments to reveal no progress on the ground. “The first phase of PDM was for trial, the second for acceleration, but the third is for sustainability. We only want those who can sustain the programme,” Businge emphasised.
He warned against the growing trend of individuals misrepresenting their businesses to access funds, only to abandon them afterward. As a result, he rejected value addition as a primary enterprise under the PDM for the third phase, despite it being one of the most voted-for options during the meeting.
The poultry enterprise emerged as the most popular choice among beneficiaries, followed by piggery and dairy farming.
Businge emphasised that only those committed to running their chosen enterprises effectively would benefit from the programme funded by the government every financial year to the tune of over Shs 1 trillion.
He also announced that tenants would no longer qualify for PDM funding, citing past experiences where some beneficiaries relocated, travelled abroad, or simply disappeared after receiving the money meant to fight household poverty.
Richard Mwebesa, the Parish Chief of Bazaar Ward, acknowledged that many recipients had diverted funds, undermining the programme’s intended impact.
He revealed that, so far, Bazaar Ward has disbursed Shs 200 million to 200 beneficiaries across its 14 villages. Bazaar is one of the 25 wards that make up Fort Portal City.
Joseph Kabuleta, the Chairperson of the Parish Development Committee, expressed optimism that the third phase would be more effective.
“Previous experiences exposed loopholes where individuals forged enterprises to access funds without actually engaging in business activities. But as the programme enters its third phase in June, we hope to do better, as it is the sustainability stage,” he noted.
Fort Portal City Woman Member of Parliament, Irene Mugisa Linda, urged the programme beneficiaries to use the funds wisely to improve their livelihoods.
She emphasised that PDM was designed to uplift the 39 percent of active poor Ugandans by boosting their household incomes. “If the money is used properly, it will benefit more Ugandans, which is the government’s target,” she said.
With stricter measures in place and a renewed focus on sustainable agricultural enterprises, the third phase of PDM in Fort Portal aims to achieve long-term economic transformation for its beneficiaries.
About PDM
Launched in February 2022, PDM aims to benefit 39 percent of the active poor in Uganda and help them escape poverty by improving their household incomes through commercial production.
Enterprises such as dairy, coffee, bananas, piggery, beekeeping, poultry, grains, cereals, and fish farming are targeted.
PDM is a government strategy for organising and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level, the lowest economic planning unit for planning, budgeting, reporting, and delivering interventions by both state and non-state actors.
The parish is the focal point for multi-sectoral community development, implementation, supervision, monitoring, and accountability. The LCII chairperson and the parish chief are responsible for political leadership in the implementation of the parish model, with support from the subcounty and district technical planning committees.
https://thecooperator.news/mp-urges-fort-portal-parents-to-embrace-pdm/
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