Uganda not ready for parish development model- policy experts tell MPs
Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) executive director, Mr Julius Mukunda talks to journalists after appearing before MPs. Photo by Arthur Arnold Wadero
What you need to know:
- The Parish development model is the latest poverty alleviation Programme designed by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and will be implemented throughout the current term.
- A total of Shs200 billion was approved by Parliament for the programme in the current financial year (2021/2022).
Policy experts on budgetary issues have urged the government to delay the rollout and implementation of the ruling party’s alleviation programme, Parish Development Model, reasoning that the country is not ready.
As they presented their views on the 2022/2023 National budget framework paper before the Parliamentary Committee on Budget on Friday afternoon, officials from the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) insisted the programme can be executed once the requisite structure has been implemented.
CSBAG executive director, Mr Julius Mukunda warned that government risks losing the money budgeted for the progamme if the funds are released for implementation without erecting the requisite structures.
“The Parish Development Model is a very a good idea but we are not ready to roll it out. In terms of readiness, the departments are so slow that each and every piece of required requisites is not in place. As of today, we don’t have all the Parish chiefs,” Mr Mukunda said.
He added: “So if you send money today, what is going to happen? So our take on this is that [government should] invest in the preparedness in implementing the Parish Development Model.”
Mr Mukunda therefore, asked Parliament to evoke its powers to compel government to stay the release of the funds meant to bankroll the programme until the clearly defined requisite structures and accountability systems are erected to monitor its implementation.
“Each and every Parish must have a Parish Chief and the Parish Development Committee must be up and functioning to receive the money. Also, these officers must be trained and educated on how this money is going to be utilised,” Mr Mukunda said.
He added: “If today we send money down there when they are not prepared, I can assure you that money will be lost. So to avoid loss of money, it is very important that we invest in readiness. If it means taking off a whole year in in piloting the model in one or two districts, then let it be.”
The Parish development model is the latest poverty alleviation Programme designed by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and will be implemented throughout the current term.
It is rooted in the third National Development Programme (NDPIII) and seeks to implement development at lowest administrative level of government by availing resources to Ugandans at grassroots.
A total of Shs200 billion was approved by Parliament for the programme in the current financial year (2021/2022).
