ALEBTONG– The Alebtong district LC5 chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo has asked village and parish leaders to mobilise the communities to form SACCOs if they are to utilise Shs 3 billion specifically allocated to them under Local Economic Growth Support [ LEGS ] Project.
The US$ 50 million [Shs 190 billion] LEGS Project is being implemented in over 30 districts in Uganda.
Speaking days ago during the handover of 794 bicycles to Local council one and two chairpersons, Odongo said the project which was launched in 2019 is due to end in December 2023, urging communities to organise themselves so that they access the SACCO money for business activities.
The government, Odongo said, has allocated Shs 10bln under LEGS to support agricultural production in the district.
The LEGS project in Alebtong district also includes; the construction of a market management office and the installation of piped water in Alanyi parish, Abako Sub-county. Others are; the construction of a water reservoir, dam for watering animals, establishing a nursery bed, procuring tractors, and building two warehouses.
The 5-year project aims to improve living conditions in selected districts by improving livestock production by 25 percent, increasing access to drinking water by 75 percent, financing the acquisition of 729 pieces of farm equipment, and financial support for farmer groups across a variety of agricultural produce, among other initiatives.
It is part of US$ 43 million [Shs 163.4bln] government acquired from Islamic Development Bank.
During his monitoring and supervision, the minister of Local Government Rapheal Magyezi revealed that the IDB has channelled the money through Microfinance Support Centre and it is upon local leaders to identify SACCO groups to access it.
Odongo said only six SACCO groups in the district had already benefited from the revolving funds targeting to weed out poverty in the households.
“It is a revolving fund, which means you should mobilise your people so that this money is accessed and circulated within us,” Odongo told the leaders.
Joy Christine Auma, the senior assistant secretary urged the local leaders to utilise the availability of transport facilitation to ease mobilisation of the government programmes such as Emyooga, Parish Development Model [PDM], and SACCOs.
“We are ready to count success in all the government programmes coming in the district because of the transport facilitation given to you,” she added.
Through LEGS, government is optimistic that people will be transformed through, easier access to markets through improved road network, hence increased household income through establishment of agricultural demonstration gardens.
“LEGS through the Micro Finance Support Centre [MSC] will provide Islamic financing packages to farming groups and co-operatives so that they may add value to their crops, especially in maize, rice, coffee, simsim, millet, vegetables as well as poultry products.”
https://thecooperator.news/alebtong-district-to-get-skills-centre-for-vulnerable-youth-and-women/
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