The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Planning) Amos Lugoloobi, has revealed that some parishes will in the Financial Year 2022/2023, receive more money than others under the Parish Development Model (PDM).
The minister made the revelation while presenting a statement to the House on the status of implementation of the PDM on Thursday, 11 August 2022.
In this financial year, each parish is expected to receive Shs100 million for disbursement through Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOS), compared to the Shs17 million that was allocated in the Financial Year 2021/2022.
According to Lugoloobi, 3,914 SACCOS under the PDM programme did not benefit from the Shs17 million allocated to parishes across Uganda as a revolving fund in the Financial Year 2021/2022.
He attributed this to non-readiness where the SACCOS did not register by 30 July 2022 but rather after the closure of the financial year; which prompted some of the revolving funds to be returned to the Consolidated Fund in accordance with the law.
He said the revolving funds that had been released to the local governments but were returned to the Consolidated Fund at the end of the Financial Year 2021/2022, will be provided to the respective parishes, upon validation of the PDM SACCOs registered.
“Additional funding shall be provided to ensure that each Parish/Ward receives the established shortfalls on the Shs17 million planned for the Financial Year 2021/2022, over and above the approved budget for the Financial Year 2022/2023,” Lugoloobi said.
He said that in the Financial Year 2021/2022, Shs139.38 billion out of the Shs234.3 billion appropriated by Parliament for PDM including supplementary funding was released, representing 60 per cent budget performance.
He added that a total of 8,267 PDM SACCOs had been registered by 31 July 2022, under the Registrar of Cooperatives under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, representing 78 per cent.
The SACCOS are registered under the Cooperative Societies Act (as amended).
In the Financial Year 2022/2023, Parliament appropriated Shs1.142 trillion for the PDM programme, of which Shs1.059 trillion has been appropriated for the revolving fund.
Lugoloobi said that this allocation to the revolving fund that will serve 10,594 parishes across the country indicates that each parish will receive Shs100 million.
“These funds were appropriated to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to enable direct disbursement of the revolving funds to the bank accounts of ready PDM SACCOS, upon validation and confirmation of the particulars of members,” the Minister clarified.
So far, Shs134.83 billion has been released in the first quarter of the Financial Year 2022/2023 for PDM activities, representing 11.81 percent.
Lugoloobi told the House that the finance ministry plans to release the parish revolving funds in two tranches – July and January, so that beneficiary households can plant their crops by the start of the two major rain seasons in most parts of the country.
While chairing the House, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa directed the Committee on Public Service and Local Government to update its report with figures presented in the statement, and present it before the House.
“The House gave the same assignment to the committee and their report is ready. I want the committee chairman to take this statement, update and bring it on the Floor next Wednesday for debate,” Tayebwa said.
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SOURCE: UGANDA PARLIAMENT MEDIA
Most the Sacco’s have been formed and registered. Some time the district officials and focal persons give false in formation to the concern ministry. For example Kapteka Chesower pdm sacco didn’t receive the money yet the sacco was formed and registered two month be4 the closure of the financial year. The sacco had already opened bank account with stanbic bank KAPCHORWA Branch. Out of all the Sacco’s formed and registered in too -constituency in Bukwo district it’s only Kapteka Sacco that didn’t receive the money out of the 5 Sacco’s formed in Chesower s/county. We wrote a letter to pdm focal person tasking him to explain why we didn’t get the money. The late late Cao replied by saying that the sacco didn’t get the money due to wrong account details , the focal person replied by saying the money was swept back to NCFA due to error in the bank during ifms upload. We tried to reach manager stanbic KAPCHORWA branch. The manager told has that the account number had no problem and that there was no error in the bank and she the money might be hanging in stanbic suspense account and she promise us that she will fellow up on the same. We also meet made with dco Bukwo in bank and when we tried to ask him about the same , he assured us that the account number had no problem and he collected all the sacco account numbers from thee bank and loaded the them in the IFMS for disbursement. He the money might have bounced bank to production account. The information was so contradicting so much and we sacco members got confused on who is telling the truth . we had also tasked the CIA to fellow over the same closely. Pillar number 3 of pdm talks about financial inclusion( revolving fund) pillar 7 or 6 talks a bout governance and administration. Every leader must be transparent and accountable to the citizens. Final the focal person promised has hope that we shall receive 67m in the first quarter of 2022/2023 f/year. The information in the grassroot is still scattered no one has updated and clear information about pdm. The concern ministries should start moving around to different district so that they can find out what is taking place on the ground instead of only relying on the district technocrats May hide key information