KAKUMIRO – The State Minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye officially launched the disbursement of a total of Shs 11 billion to the beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model [PDM] in Kakumiro district last Wednesday.
According to Nickson Ankunda, the Kakumiro district community development officer Kakumiro who also doubles as the PDM focal person, all the 103 PDM SACCOs are ready to receive their money on behalf of their members. Each of the 10,594 parishes in the country is supposed to receive Shs 100 million, according to the government which began sending the money in the last financial year 2022/ 2023.
“The beneficiaries were taken through different trainings including financial literacy and mindset change. They are just waiting to receive the money and invest in their projects,” said Ankunda during the disbursement of the money at the Kakumiro district headquarters.
Offcials said the PDM beneficiaries would get their money through Post Bank Uganda. The bank in partnership with Airtel Uganda also launched a digital platform dubbed Wendi where beneficiaries will be accessing their money through mobile money without going to the bank.
Maj. David Matovu, the Kakumiro resident district commissioner warned the programme’s beneficiaries against misusing the funds, adding that it should be used to improve their livelihoods.
“Whoever misuses this money will be dealt with accordingly. This money is to help you move out of poverty. Use is and repay it,” Matovu said.
Andrew Maweje, the chief administrative officer Kakumiro district said about Shs 3.4bln had been disbursed already to the PDM beneficiaries.
He also asked government to give operational funds to PDM SACCO leaders to avoid being tempted to use the interests.
Grace Bataringaya, the district LCV vice chairperson Kakumiro asked the beneficiaries to treasure the PDM, saying that it is the only programme which can best improve their well-being.
“As Kakumiro residents let’s treasure this programme because as Kakumiro we have been given enough money,” said Bataringaya.
Presiding over the function, minister Kyofatogabye cautioned the beneficiaries to repay the money in time such that others can also get it and engage in commercial production in enterprises like coffee, fruits, piggery, dairy farming, fish farming, beans, soybeans, maize, and bananas among others.
“This money should go to the poor such that they are able to join the money economy. Use this money well because your SACCOs are going to be your banks,” he advised.
He promised to ensure that operational funds are sent to PDM SACCOs, adding that they had understood the challenges they are going through.
The beneficiaries who were too much excited commended government for remitting the money to their PDM SACCOs.
Launched in February 2022, the PDM is premised on the model that the Parish Development Committee[PDC] together with common citizens as the end user of social services are better placed to identify and respond to their own needs, priorities, and direct use of resources.
The purpose of the programme is to deepen the decentralisation process; improve household incomes; enable inclusive, sustainable, balanced and equitable socio-economic transformation; and increase accountability at local levels.
The PDM positions the parish as the epicenter of multi-sectoral community development, planning, implementation, supervision and accountability. The parish is taken as the lowest reference unit for planning, budgeting and delivery of interventions to drive socio-economic transformation.
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