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National disbursement of PDM funds to beneficiaries kicks off  

The disbursement of the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds from parish Sacco accounts to beneficiaries has kicked off nationwide, with the first four recipients of the programme in Kayunga District. PHOTO/ FILE

The disbursement of the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds from parish Sacco accounts to beneficiaries has kicked off nationwide, with the first four recipients of the programme in Kayunga District.
The disbursement of the funds through the e-banking system was launched yesterday by Vice President Jessica Alupo at PostBank Kayunga branch in Kayunga Town on Wednesday.
At the launch, Ms Alupo transferred Shs1m from the PDM Sacco account of Tulwane Masajja in PostBank to the mobile money account of Ms Kevina Naiti, who rears local chicken in Bukujju Village, Kayunga Sub-county.

The exercise was witnessed by ministers Raphael Magyezi (Local Government) and Amos Lugoloobi (State Finance) as well as PDM national coordinator Ssozi Galabuzi, and Mr Andrew Kabeera, the PostBank executive director, among other government officials.
In her speech, Ms Alupo said the main intention of the PDM is to transform the country’s poorest individual to the money economy.
“PDM is a government multi-sectoral strategy aimed at reducing poverty among the 16.1m households, which are under the subsistence economy into the money economy. I don’t want to hear that so and so has stolen this money because those who have tried to short-circuit these funds will tell you that it’s not palatable,” she said.
Ms Alupo, who called for shared responsibility and guarding jealously of the disbursed funds, said PDM will help boost food security, create wealth, employment and improve service delivery at parish level for financial inclusion.
“We need to awaken the community to increase agricultural productivity and value chain activities to accelerate our export base,” the Vice President said.

She said Kayunga was chosen as the first beneficiary because the recipients in the district were found more ready than others in other districts.
Ms Alupo said after Kayunga, beneficiaries in the districts of Rukungiri, Butaleja, Ibanda, Mpigi, Sheema, Mityana, Gulu and Kiryandongo, which she said are also ready, will also receive the funds.
“Beneficiaries in the rest of the districts, municipalities and cities will also follow suit when they are ready,” she said.
Ms Alupo cautioned leaders against discriminating against the beneficiaries of the PDM on account of age, political affiliation, religious or tribal lines.
She promised to carry out impromptu inspections to find out how the programme is being implemented.

Minister Magyezi urged the district and sub-county leaders across the country to mobilise the population to understand the programme and also monitor its implementation.
“Parish chiefs should train beneficiaries in financial management. Each parish is to receive Shs100m PDM funds each year,” Mr Magyezi noted.
He, however, said given the work the parish chiefs are going to do in the implementation of PDM, they need to be given motorcycles to be able to easily reach the beneficiaries.
The Vice President promised to forward the request to the President.
Mr Kabeera said a total of 2,500 PDM Saccos have opened accounts in the bank, revealing that each of them will receive a mobile phone to use in the programme implementation.