Dokolo district starts disbursing Shs 3.65bln PDM funds

DOKOLO – Dokolo district has launched the disbursement of Shs 3.65 billion to the beneficiaries under the Parish Development Model [PDM].

The disbursement of the funds to the beneficiaries was launched on Tuesday at Amatiburu Primary School in Kangai Sub-county by the Dokolo South Member of Parliament, Felix Okot Ogong.

Dokolo district, according to Moses Okello, the PDM focal point person who is also the district planner registered 1,067 enterprise groups under the 71 PDM SACCOs.

The disbursement of the funds had been delayed as responsible officials were working on cleaning data provided by the beneficiaries.

The PDM was launched by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2022 to move 3.5 million households still trapped in the subsistence economy to the money economy through commercial production in enterprises such as coffee growing, dairy farming, piggery, poultry keeping, and fish farming among several other enterprises.

MP Okot cautioned the beneficiaries against mishandling the PDM money saying it should be used for its designated purpose. For five years, beginning with the financial year 2022/2023, government will be allocating over Shs 1 trillion annually to be disbursed to 10,594 parishes in Uganda, with each parish getting Shs 100mln as a Parish Revolving Fund [PRF] for enterprise groups.

Okot also warned against giving kickbacks to the technical staff at the parishes, sub-county, or district, saying whoever does that will be arrested.

The resident district commissioner, Barbra Akech said government will be following up on how people utilise the money and also asses its impact later, even though President Museveni said recently the beneficiaries would be required to pay back the money after two years.

The deputy chief administrative officer, Richard Madete urged people to take PDM seriously if they want to fight poverty in their households. President Museveni said recently most of the parishes have received Shs 50mln each of the Shs 100mln promised.

The district information officer, Blick Musafiri Suwed also called upon people against diverting the money, saying they should use it to implement their income-generating projects.

https://thecooperator.news/pdm-oyam-district-official-urges-beneficiaries-on-mindset-change/

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