MASINDI-Parish Development SACCOS [ PDM SACCOS ] which were formed in Masindi district will access the money which is on their bank accounts in January next year after fulfilling all the requirements.
Masindi district principal commercial officer, Moses Kalyegira disclosed this on Tuesday during a citizen-leader accountability forum orgainised by Forum for Women in Democracy [FOWODE] at Kolping Hotel in Masindi town.
He was responding to concerns of the members whose PDM SACCOS had received the money on bank accounts yet they are unable to access it.
According to Mourine Kyomuhendo, the field officer FOWODE Masindi, PDM money had reached the parish SACCOS accounts but beneficiaries have not yet accessed the funds for utilisation, adding that there is also lack of information among citizens about PDM programme.
“The citizens request this money [PDM money] to be accessed to enable them to boost their businesses and fight poverty right from the household level,” she added.
Kalyegira explained that 46 PDM SACCOS were formulated in Masindi district but only 40 have received Shs 25 million each on their accounts. According to government, each PDM SACCO in the country will receive Shs 100mln each financial year for its enterprise groups and individuals to borrow. The programme is planned for five years.
He added that the six SACCOS will also soon receive their money after rectifying the few challenges they had.
“The SACCOS have delayed accessing the money because there are procedures they need to follow first. If these procedures required to follow are not followed it will take time to access the money. The moment you delay a step you get affected,” said Kalyegira.
He added that the SACCOS have not been having substantive leadership and signatories. The executive committee of the SACCOS is the one responsible for the funds when they hit accounts.
“There has been a delay because we had also to prepare these people first on how to utilise the money. The SACCOs have held annual general meetings and we are now in the process of electing the leaders who are going to be signatories to the bank…After finishing the process of getting the signatories, we are going to write to the bank to enable them[SACCOS members] to access the money,” he explained.
He said by January next year people will be accessing their money because they want them to use it in the first season.
He further guided that PDM money is for supporting people who are already engaged in some form of business but not those who are just starting.
“Government now is targeting people who are doing something but lacking support. We are continuing to train people not only to wait for government but have self-help projects,” he said.
He also noted that they are facing a challenge of negative attitude, noting that many people are no longer embracing the meetings aimed at giving them information about the programme [PDM].
PDM was launched in February this year in Kibuku district by President Yoweri Museveni to move 3.5 million households that are still in subsistence farming to the money economy.
According to the implementation guidelines for the PDM, the programme will help deal with high post-harvest losses, bulking, and marketing agricultural produce, elimination of middlemen and, ease to local, regional and international markets.
According to the State Minister for Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, this financial year government has already released Shs 529.7 billion, with Shs 206.275bln being wired to the bank accounts of 8, 251 ready PDM SACCOs in 162 local governments. Government had earmarked 10,594 parishes in the country for the PDM programme. However, by October 13, 2022, 8, 654 SACCOS had been registered.
Yesterday Vice President Jessica Alupo launched the disbursement of the PDM money in Kayunga district where Night Kevina, a farmer in Kyamimbi village, Kayunga Sub-county was the first to receive one million shillings on her bank account. Kevina is a member of Tulwane Masajja Savings and Credit Cooperative Society in Bukunju parish, Kayunga district.
https://thecooperator.news/saccos-best-solution-to-ending-poverty-in-uganda-says-ucscu-boss/
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