Oyam RDC gives ultimatum to PDM officials to disburse cash to beneficiaries
OYAM, November 20, 2023 – The Oyam Resident District Commissioner [RDC], William Komakech has given a one-month ultimatum to the sub-county Parish Development Model [PDM] focal persons to ensure that the beneficiaries of the programme get the money to fund their income generating activities.
Komakech said he had received complaints from the beneficiaries of the programme, claiming that they have not yet received the money, even though government deposited the said money to their PDM SACCO accounts.
The RDC was on Thursday addressing residents of Myene Sub-county during the commissioning of part of the 262 boreholes constructed by JF Well Works Africa, a charity founded by John Foley and his wife Victoria based in the United States.
“It is very disturbing to hear that some of you have not yet gotten the money because government wants you to get the money and use it productively to improve your livelihood,” he said.
Oyam district has 16 sub-counties and 74 parishes and under the PDM, the district received Shs 7.4bln.
Robert Okino, the Myene Sub-county PDM focal point person said the delay to release the money to the beneficiaries was as a result of changes in the guidelines for disbursement.
However, he said a total of 20 people in Myene Sub-county have been paid but 60 remain to be paid. “We expect the remaining beneficiaries to stay getting the soon because the verification process had been done,” he said.
The PDM was launched in February 2022 to move 3.5 million still trapped in the subsistence economy to the money economy, with each parish in Uganda supposed to receive Shs 100 million each financial year for production in enterprises like coffee, bananas, dairy farming, fish farming, piggery, poultry keeping, fruits, and beekeeping among others.
Each beneficiary of the PDM in Uganda is supposed to receive Shs 1mln from the Shs 100mln Parish Revolving Fund [PRF] to fund the chosen enterprise, even reports indicate that some of the beneficiaries have already misused the money by spending it on consumption.
The government in the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24 allocated over Shs 1bln to the PDM, respectively for disbursement to 10,594 parishes in Uganda.
Meanwhile, according to the Chairperson Board of Directors, JF Well Works Africa, JJ Odongo, the charity was formed to provide clean water to impoverished parts of the world.
https://thecooperator.news/pdm-oyam-district-official-urges-beneficiaries-on-mindset-change/
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