Oyam PWDs decry irregularities in implementation of PDM

OYAM, August 8, 2024 – Persons with Disabilities [PWDs] in Oyam district have raised concern over irregularities in the implementation of the Parish Development Model [PDM] in the district, stating that they have failed to get their 10 percent share of the programme’s funds.

Richard Amenya, Chairperson of Ongwalo Peyero Saving Group in Minakulu town council, told this reporter that PWDs in the district could benefit from the PDM if the funds allotted to them are directly disbursed to their bank accounts as opposed to accounts of the PDM SACCOs.

According to the programme’s guidelines, 30 percent of the Parish Revolving Fund [PRF] goes to women, 30 percent to the youth, 10 percent to the PWDs, another 10 percent to the elderly, while the remaining 20 percent is reserved for men and others that don’t fall under the special interest groups.

Government launched the PDM in 2022, targeting to move 39 percent of Ugandans stuck in subsistence farming to the money economy through mainly investment in the agricultural value chain.

Each of the 10,594 parishes receives  Shs100 million every financial year for enterprise groups to borrow and invest in their projects such as coffee, piggery, poultry keeping, dairy farming, fish farming, and bananas, among others.

Through the PDM SACCO, Each beneficiary of the programmes receives Shs 1mln from the PRF to invest in the project of their choice.

However, according to Ameny, since the PDM kicked off, none of the PWDs in Oyam district has benefited from it despite government disbursing over Shs 7 billion to the district.

“We are asking ourselves where the money for the PWDs is, and we have not got a proper feedback from officials,” Ameny said during a recent meeting organised by the Equal Opportunities Commission [EOC] at Minakulu town council headquarters.

The EOC was meeting special interest groups that include, older persons, youth, women leaders and the PWDs  to seek the views and inputs for integration into the Fourth National Development Plan [NDP IV].

Rose Acola, a representative of disabled persons at Minakulu town council said besides introducing PDM, government should ensure that the PWDs are not left behind in the digitalisation programmes being implemented.

“We are very capable and able to go digital but there is not special arrangement for us,” she added.

Meanwhile, Primah Ninsiima, an economist with the EOC highlighted areas such as industrialisation, agro-industrialisation, mineral development, digitalisation, tourism, finance, oil and gas, institutional reforms, and security among others as key priorities for the government in its socioeconomic transformation agenda.

https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-city-to-hold-pdm-expo-this-august/

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