Lack of IDs affecting access to PDM funds in Lira district
LIRA, December 21, 2024 — Residents of Amach Town Council in Lira district have called on the government to expedite the process of issuing the national identity cards [ IDs ] to all Ugandans, saying the delay is hindering access to Parish Development Model [PDM] funds and other government programmes.
They raised these concerns recently, noting that even birth registration is being severely affected due to the absence of the vital document.
The issue was highlighted during a program organised by HEPS Uganda at Amach Health Centre IV, which focused on monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning. The programme aimed to identify areas where stakeholders can strengthen health systems that rely on civil registration and vital statistics data, according to Charles Onyum, the communication officer at Global Health Advocacy Incubator.
The initiative also assessed the work of Village Health Teams [VHTs] and medical workers, identifying challenges in accessing government programmes.
Milbia Apio, a resident of Aweo Village in Alworo Parish Lira district said the lack of a national ID is frustrating access to PDM funds, birth and death registration, and other programmes such as the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme, where the ID is an immediate requirement.
She also highlighted other challenges, including limited access to credit facilities from banks, job opportunities, and the ability to transact e-cash businesses.
“I enrolled in 2014, but since then, I have not received any positive updates about my national ID,” she said.
“I was initially profiled to benefit from PDM, but my name was later removed because I don’t have the ID,” she added.
Patrick Okello, another resident, said he enrolled in 2013 but has yet to receive any information about his ID.
“There has been no feedback regarding my national ID. This has left me in a dilemma, and I cannot benefit from any government program,” he said. “I’ve struggled to get the ID, but there’s no clear information, and right now, I don’t know what my fate is.”
Okello further explained that while he had applied for PDM in his village, his name was eventually replaced due to the absence of a National ID.
According to Patrick Okello, the Chairperson of PDM SACCO in Bazar Ward, Lira City, the process for accessing PDM funds requires forming an enterprise group, being a resident of the parish, having a valid National Identity card, and registering a phone number in the beneficiary’s name.
“If you are a member but lack a national ID or are not part of a group, you do not qualify to receive the money,” he said.
“There are many such cases, and the government needs to implement mass enrollment to ensure people don’t continue to miss out,” he added.
The PDM aims to increase household incomes and improve the quality of life for Ugandans, with a particular focus on the economic transformation of households. The programme seeks to move 39 percent of those trapped in subsistence farming into the money economy within five years.
Bob Oluk, the Commercial Officer for Alebtong district, acknowledged the problem but advised residents to contact the National Identification and Registration Authority [NIRA] for enrollment and to acquire their national IDs.
“We are advising people that without a national ID, there is no access to PDM because it is a mandatory requirement for eligibility,” he said.
https://thecooperator.news/pdm-registers-success-in-lango-amidst-challenges/
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