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Butaleja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament from Busia and Butaleja districts have raised concerns over the procedures for accessing Emyooga funds.
The Emyooga, a presidential initiative on wealth and job creation was rolled out in October 2020 to support among others, market vendors, welders, taxi drivers, boda-boda riders, women and restaurant owners.
The MPs argue that the program has instead impoverished the beneficiaries because of the stringent and bureaucratic guidelines.
According to the SACCO members, the Microfinance Support Center has continued to come up with different guidelines.
The guidelines require every Emyooga SACCO to set up an office, employ loan officers, erect signposts as a prerequisite to saving money on their accounts among others. However, the beneficiaries say the process is expensive and lengthy.
Geoffrey Macho, the Busia Municipality MP says that stringent guidelines in accessing these funds are bureaucratic. He says that some banks have started deducting interest even before the beneficiaries receive the money.
The Bunyole East MP, Yusuf Mutembuli says that the bureaucracy and stringent limitations must be relaxed to enable people to access the money.
Florence Andiru Nebanda, the Butaleja Woman MP says that their findings indicate that the people in Butaleja have not benefited from the Emyooga because of the red tape and absence of clear guidelines.
She said that the procedures of getting the money should be changed if the government intends to alleviate poverty.
Like the MPs, the Butaleja Resident District Commissioner acknowledges the challenges in accessing the funds.
According to him, if the bureaucracy is minimized, all the registered SACCOs will be able to access the money on time and be able to use and payback.
He says that after people saving their money, it may take between 2 to 3 months to access their money which according to him has discouraged many people from embracing the program.
Fred Ouma Sande, the chairman of elected leader’s SACCO in Samia Bugwe central and Paul Osimme of Busolwe Boda Boda Association in Butaleja said that the guidelines have demoralized the members from saving.
Christine Anyango, the chairperson Saloon operator’s SACCO in Busia Municipality and Yazi Tabo, the Youth Councilor Buslowe town council said that the SACCO members have rejected the program and are demanding the refund of their registration fees.
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