Minister Magyezi vouches for the Parish Development Model Program

UGANDA – The Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi has said that for Uganda to reach middle income status; Ugandans need to change their mindset and move away from subsistence agriculture to commercial economy through industrialization; as the government gears up to launch the Parish Development Model program.

The Minister made these remarks during a zoom dialogue meeting on the Parish Development Model as a strategy to build resilient food systems in Uganda.

“The government is committed to transform Ugandans from subsistence farming to a money economy in the next five years using the Parish Development Model,” says Magezi.

The meeting was organized by Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) in conjunction with the National Food Systems Secretariat and held at the Ministry of Local Government Boardroom on Wednesday, 18^th of August, 2021.

Among other dignitaries in attendance were; the Deputy Chief Coordinator Operation Wealth Creation, Maj. Gen Sam Kavuma, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Goobi, Dr. Fred Muhumuza Economist, Researcher and Lecturer at Makerere University, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries, Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama and Sarah Kataike, the Director of Operation Wealth Creation  in charge of the Regional Incubation and Innovation Center.

In his opening remarks, the Minister Raphael Magezi said, the coming years are going to be exciting for Ugandan citizens and the Ugandan economy as the government is finalizing with the necessary steps needed to launch the Parish Development Model.

He said that the Parish Development Model program is the latest National Resistance Movement (NRM) program aimed at shifting the whole of government’s development efforts to the parish level in its effort to uplift about 3.2 million households who are still held up in the subsistence economy to move into the money economy.

According to Magyezi, about 3.2 million households out of the 8.5 million households live in the subsistence economy meaning that two out of every five households live in the subsistence economy.

“The implementation of the Parish Development Model is expected to begin within this financial year 2021/22. It is one of the key strategies for expanding the country’s economic base and intensifying the fight against poverty in the five years,” Magyezi said.

The minister also noted that once rural households are lifted from the subsistence economy, the government will be able to increase the tax base, revenue mobilization strategy and the general quality of life which is the ultimate goal of the government.

On the pillars of the Parish Development Dodel, Magyezi stated that the new model will focus on production, value addition, marketing and mindset change, community statistical data strengthening, infrastructure development and financial inclusion where the government will start another revolving fund.

“Under the Parish Development Model, the government intends to revive cooperatives and credit facilities to enhance productivity of the 18 commodities that the government has identified as having a ready market and high potential for processing,” explained Magezi.

He listed coffee, cotton, cocoa, cassava, tea, vegetable oils, maize, rice, sugarcane, fish, dairy products, beef, bananas, beans, avocado, shea nut, cashew nut and macadamia nuts as key commodities with ready market and high potential for processing.

Dr. Agnes Apea Atim, the Woman Member of Parliament for Amolatar district, believes that the new model would mean that the center of government activities leaves the sub-county and becomes concentrated at the parish level.

According to her, once the Parish Development Model is implemented and it succeeds, the current situation where two out of every five Ugandans live hand to mouth will be eradicated.

“As the Vice Chairperson Parliamentary Agricultural Committee, I am convinced that nothing can better guarantee inclusive growth and employment for Ugandans than equitable participation of more Ugandans in the monetized economy,” Atim said.

However, she asked the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Local Government to develop guidelines on the criteria of identifying the list of members of households per parish and the criteria that the government would use to identify the beneficiaries.

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Atim argued that there is need for the ministry to show the research they have done, give parliament the data on how many households are in a given parish, how the money is going to benefit the households and the interventions.

She also said members of the Parliament should be embedded in the monitoring and evaluation role, saying that the legislators play a pivotal role in monitoring and evaluating government programs in their respective constituencies.

Maj. Gen Sam Kavuma, the Deputy Chief Coordinator Operation Wealth Creation said that the UPDF using its established structures at parish level is going to continue sensitising communities about the Parish Development Model as it does with Operation Wealth Creation.

“Many people have been asking the role of UPDF in the parish development model and I want to tell them ours is eyes and hands off,” said Maj. Gen. Kavuma.

On mindset change, he challenged all state actors to join hands and help agencies to implement the program to sensitise locals to embrace it.

Meanwhile, Sarah Kataike, the Director of Operation Wealth Creation in charge of the Regional Incubation and Innovation Center stressed the need for farmers to organise themselves in groups.

According to her, Ugandan farmers are not organised in cooperatives making delivery of input and agricultural extension services difficult.

Ramathan Goobi, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Secretary to the Treasury said the programme will see each of the 10,594 parishes get Shs 30 million in a revolving fund.

“The parish model, like the others before, is intended to lift Ugandans out of the subsistence economy into the money economy, but this time around, new parish chiefs will manage the fund,” Goobi stated.

Meanwhile in his closing remarks, Maj. Gen David Kasura Kyomukama, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries who represented the minister Frank Kagyigyi Tumwebaze warned against mismanagement of parish development funds.

He advised the responsible officers to exhibit professionalism while executing the parish development model activities warning that whoever is found culpable of embezzling any funds meant for the vulnerable citizens shall be dealt with accordingly.

WHAT IS PARISH DEVELOPMENT MODEL?

A statement from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, describes the Parish Development  Model as a strategy that will organise and deliver public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the economic planning unit.

The project intends to localize Vision 2040 as well as the National Development Plan III for effective measurement and management of government development programmes.

Before the implementation of the Parish Development Model, the government will start by recruiting over 5,000 parish chiefs as well as embark on strengthening and training parish development committees.

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