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Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Agago district has launched the Parish Development Model, PDM with 117 parishes set to share 57 million Shillings out of the 6.5 billion Shillings.
While officiating over the launch of the program at Agago district Headquarters on Saturday, Beatrice Akori, the State Minister for Economic Monitoring, commended the 4,296 beneficiaries in the district for their patience, following the delay in launching the program.
She said that the Minister of Finance has promised that the remaining 50 million Shillings will be sent to the district account before the end of this financial year 2022/2023.
“That means those who have not yet received the money should not be discouraged. I understand that only three parishes have missed the funds, but they will get it soon,” Akori said, adding that, “the delay in the official launch was because the government wanted the beneficiaries to be well prepared on how to handle funds.”
Akori however condemned some parish chiefs and Sacco leaders who collected 15,000 thousand shillings from beneficiaries for registration and paperwork.
Richard Bongomin Akal, Agago District PDM focal person urged the beneficiaries to report parish chiefs and Sacco leaders charging more than 5,000 shillings which is for registration.
Samuel Nyeko, the Principal Assistant Secretary who represented the CAO Muwonge Abdulnoor Mbagwa said that the district has a total number of 1,174 registered enterprise groups Youths 5,802, PWDs 2,161and 19,225 households in the groups.
Three PDM Sacco’s (Ala ward sacco in Adilang Town Council, Adilang central ward sacco, and Amado Ward missed the first release of 25 million Shillings each and the second release of 25 million shillings still entering into various PDM sacco accounts, the exact amount shall be communicated through PRF utilization tracker and CAO has already written alerted to the Ministry of Finance.
Michael Otim an official from the PDM Secretariat, urged the leaders to mobilize the masses to register for the program to help them improve their household income.
Otim warned leaders against misappropriating the funds, which he said is a major hindrance to the success of similar government programs.
Marino Obwoch, a beneficiary from Patongo Lakwa Sacco said who practices horticulture, appealed to leaders to ensure that such funds are given to the final beneficiaries in time so that they don’t miss planting in the second season as they did in the first season.
Obwoch advised fellow farmers to make good use of the funds so that they are able to meet their basic needs.
PDM is a poverty alleviation program where government targets to fight household poverty from the parish level, targeting those who are still in the subsistence economy.
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