ALEBTONG, February 29, 2024 – The State Minister for Energy, Okasaai Opolot has urged residents of Alebtong district to embrace the Parish Development Model [PDM] and Emyooga Programme to improve their livelihoods.
Commissioning a power transmission line running from Moroto to Ajuri County, Okasaai told the locals that government had provided walking tractors in all the sub-counties in the district. He asked the farmers to use the tractors to produce enough food for both consumption and commercial purposes.
“Please listen to your political leaders and implement PDM because you have tractors and adequate land for production,” Okasaai said at a ceremony held at Omoro Sub-county recently.
The PDM is a government initiative launched in February 2022, to move 3.5 million households in the country from the subsistence economy to the money economy.
On the hand, the Emyooga programme, a presidential initiative, was launched in August 2019 as part of the broad government strategy targeting to transform 68 percent of homesteads from subsistence to market-oriented production with the overall objective of promoting job creation and improving household incomes.
The PDM gives cheap loans to the beneficiaries to invest in the agricultural value chain such as growing coffee, fruits, grains as well as engaging in fish farming, dairy farming, piggery, and poultry keeping among several others.
The minister urged the beneficiaries of the programme to select enterprises wisely so that they able to earn profits and pay back the money.
“Select what is right for you. Traditionally, here you are cattle keepers. Can we embrace dairy farming, for example? I am saying this because I know how capable you are in cattle keeping.
Under PDM, the government has so far disbursed Shs 6.9 billion to finance different enterprises in the district, according to the district LC5 Chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo.
Odongo said with the coming of the electricity power in the area, the economic status of people in the district will improve since electricity will now act as a catalyst for investments.
“I want to thank the government because this economic infrastructure acts like a catalyst to promote household income and development,” he said.
“So by having electricity connected to Alebtong district, as a district chairperson, I am telling my people that we almost have everything now with us and it is now upon us to use the electricity to produce goods and services,” he said.
For his part, the Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, who is also Ajuri County legislator, said under PDM Omoro Sub-county had received Shs 500 million for production.
“We are coming back soon to listen to testimonies from the beneficiaries because all this money was channeled to foster production and productivity,” he said.
On his part, the LC3 Chairperson, Isaac Apenyo, appreciated government for extending electricity to the area, saying it will entice the locals to start businesses and but also help develop the area.
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