KIKUUBE – Government plans to procure bicycles for parish chiefs to ease their movement as they monitor the Parish Development Model [PDM].
While launching the disbursement of PDM funds in Kikuube district on Thursday, Fred Byamukama, the State Minister for Works and Transport said Cabinet recently agreed that government should procure bicycles for the parish chiefs.
He further said government will pay parish chiefs Shs 100,000 as allowances to stop the officials from extorting money from the PDM beneficiaries.
“The government is doing this to avoid parish chiefs from asking money from the PDM beneficiaries,” the minister said.
He noted government wants each of the PDM beneficiaries to get Shs 1 million without any deductions, adding that the beneficiaries will refund the money to the parish revolving fund after two years.
He noted that government hopes to help Ugandans improve their welfare through the five-year programme launched in February 2022 aiming to move 3.5 million households still in the subsistence economy to the money.
Byamukama said beginning with the financial year 2022/2023, each of the 10,594 parishes in Uganda is to get Shs 100 million, adding those who did not receive all the money in the last financial year will receive in the current financial year 2023/2024.
He urged commercial banks involved in the programme not to deduct anything from the PDM money and challenged the beneficiaries to report any bank which will go against this directive.
Kikuube district local government received Shs 3.15 billion to benefit over 29 SACCOs with over 2,000 beneficiaries.
Speaking during the function which was held at Kikuube district headquarters, Peter Banura, the district LCV chairman, commended President Yoweri Museveni for initiating the programme, adding the beneficiaries in his district have been sensitised about the programme and are ready to utilise the funds.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube district commissioner also commended President Museveni for initiating the programme which he said is going to help the targeted poor households to move out of poverty.
He said through engaging in commercial agriculture such as coffee, dairy farming, fish farming, piggery, and poultry keeping among others, the PDM beneficiaries can be able to make Shs 10mln to Shs 20mln per year.
Tumusiime advised officials implementing the programme to continue engaging the beneficiaries so that they invest the money in profitable enterprises.
Steven Itaza Asera, the Member of Parliament for Buhaguzi East challenged the PDM beneficiaries to always report challenges encountered along the way so that they can be helped.
He said government has initiated several programmes such as the PDM, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP], Emyooga Programme, and Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], but mismanaging them has yielded undesired results.
https://thecooperator.news/over-900-lower-council-chairpersons-in-tororo-receive-bicycles/
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