BUSIA – Busia Municipality yesterday launched the distribution of Parish Development Model [PDM] funds to the beneficiaries in eight parishes so that they can engage in commercial production and fight household poverty.
According to officials, Busia Municipality received a total of Shs 456 million for the beneficiaries registered with several PDM SACCOs which manage the revolving funds.
According to government, the PDM launched in February 2022, will see 10, 594 parishes in Uganda receive Shs 100mln each for five years for enterprise groups involved in income generating activities such as fish farming, crop farming [coffee maize, beans, groundnuts, and bananas among others], dairy farming and piggery among others.
The programme which mainly emphasises commercial agriculture at the parish level, aims at helping 3.5mln households in Uganda to move from the subsistence economy to the money economy in five years, government having begun funding the programme in the current financial year, promising to inject over Shs 1 trillion each year.
Ronald Baganza, the Busia town clerk said they have so far disbursed about Shs 15.2mln [33 percent], adding other PDM SACCO members will soon receive the money in their bank accounts.
He said they had some challenges of delay due to processes put for one to get the money it is being addressed.
Suzan Wandera, the Busia deputy mayor asked technocrats to assist the PDM beneficiaries who need technical support from their offices.
Michael Kibwika, the Busia resident district commissioner who was the guest of honor during the launch at Madibira Primary School playground appealed to the beneficiaries of the programme to use the money for income generating activities.
However, some of the beneficiaries registered their complaints after they received less than Shs 1mln that they applied for.
“I applied for Shs 1 million to boost my beans business but I have received less. It is going to be hard for me to implement my plan because funds are not enough,” said a local trader.
Commenting on the different amounts of the money being received by the beneficiaries, Dr Joaquim Serunkuma, the Busia Municipality production officer said it is based on the particular project selected.
President Yoweri Museveni said recently most parishes have received Shs 50mln out of the Shs 100mln promised in the current financial year, with half expected to be delivered as the current financial year ends on June 30, 2023.
Government in the budget for the next financial year which begins on July 1, 2023, has allocated an extra Shs 1.1trn for the PDM SACCOs. The beneficiaries are expected to begin pay back the money borrowed after two years.
https://thecooperator.news/dokolo-district-starts-disbursing-shs-3-65bln-pdm-funds/
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