Don’t tamper with PDM money, Minister Ecweru warns district officials

AMURIA – The Minister of State for Works, Musa Ecweru has warned district commercial officers in Teso Sub-region against fleecing the money meant for the beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model [PDM].

Ecweru made the remark recently during the launch of the disbursement of the PDM funds at Ogolai Sub-county, warning that the officials would be dealt with in case they pocked the beneficiaries’ money.

“You have been touching so many things but please, don’t touch this money,” Ecweru said.

Under the PDM each of the 10594 parishes in Uganda is supposed to get Shs 100 million this year for its enterprise groups.

Amuria district finally received the PDM money after the programme after President Museveni launched the programme over a year ago, pledging to move 3.5mln households in the country out of abject poverty.

Over Shs 278mln was distributed to PDM SACCO groups in the parishes of Odepe Parish, Ogolai, Abeko, Akore, and Ococai.

The minister advised the locals not to have a negative attitude towards the PDM, saying it will deter their growth, yet the programme is development oriented.

“If we continue looking at things with a negative attitude, we shall not grow,” Ecweru said.

Ecweru also said all those who are supposed to benefit from the programme will get the money in the next two weeks.

Lillian Eyal, the resident district commissioner Amuria urged the beneficiaries to use the money for the purposes it was applied for. The beneficiaries are supposed to engage in production in enterprises such as coffee, bananas, fruits, maize, poultry, piggery, and several others.

Eyal pledged to keenly monitor the PDM so that the funds are not misused by the beneficiaries that government wants to move from a subsistence economy to a money economy.

Meanwhile, Johnson Elobu, the chairman Adope Group, one of the beneficiaries, said government delayed disbursing the money to them, making them delay implementing their projects.

Robert Okwir, chairperson Three, said their money was being withheld in banks, though he said his groups would use the money in the best way possible.

However, Francis Okodel, the district commercial officer Amuria, said they delayed disbursing the money to the beneficiaries due to technical issues.

Government has pledged to spend over a trillion shillings every financial year on the PDM. For this financial year, Shs 25mln is said to have hit the bank accounts of most of the PDM SACCOs.

He added that the district did not have an ICT personal to set them in the system so that the beneficiaries could access the money. “Because the beneficiaries are supposed to be captured in the system before payments are made to them,” Okodel said.

https://thecooperator.news/apac-parish-chiefs-held-over-sabotaging-pdm/

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