Stop keeping PDM money on Sacco accounts - Magyezi

The Minister for Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, has ordered Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) to allow beneficiaries of Parish Development Model (PDM) access to their money instead of keeping it on the Sacco accounts.

Mr Magyezi, who was officiating at the disbursement of PDM funds to the beneficiaries in Bushenyi District on Saturday, said there are districts where CAOs are waiting for the guidelines from the Ministry of Local Government before allowing beneficiaries to access the money deposited on their Sacco accounts, which he said is wrong.

‘‘You should not wait for the ministry’s guidelines to allow people access to PDM money, but as leaders, you should go in your areas and disburse the money to the beneficiaries,’’ he said.

Mr Magyezi said they will reward performing districts. “For those who will disburse the money fully to the beneficiaries, I will instruct the ministry to release more,” he said.

The minister added that the funds must be equally distributed depending on the enterprises submitted.

“District Commercial Officers must get serious with their work, we are different from Emyooga. We are not giving this money for people to go and marry their second wives, but to push them into the money economy,” he said.

The chairperson of Bushenyi District, Mr Jafari Basajjabalaba, said the criteria through which the beneficiaries are selected should be changed since it only favours the extreme poor, who are not in Bushenyi.

“There is a need to revisit the programme because when you look at the parametre, we are not the same. There is no one in Bushenyi District that cannot afford to eat three meals a day. A poor man in America is far much better from a rich man in Ishaka Town,” he said.

The national coordinator for PDM, Ms Jovrine Kaliisa Kyomukama, said the beneficiaries should take the PDM programme as a business.

“If anyone gets problems after receiving the money, they should not go into hiding or run away, but rather should report to the Sacco leaders and the parish chief to handle the matter with the district technical committee,” she said.

Beneficiaries

The district production officer and PDM focal person, Mr Gordon Tumuhimbise, said Bushenyi has 54,000 families, but it is 6,600 families that are eligible to benefit from the fund.

“We are beginning with 1,195 households to receive this money on the first day and the rest will get it next week until we finish all the money. The ministry has sent us over Shs1.9b to give to 39 Saccos,” he said.

“We are facing a number of implementation challenges ranging from poor mind set change, facilitation for Sacco leaders and parish development information system where leaders don’t have gadgets to use,” Mr Tumuhimbise added.

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