Gov’t yet to disburse full PDM package

The State minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. David Bahati who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ndorwa West, yesterday Sunday revealed that Government is yet to honor its pledge of disbursing 100 million shillings for each parish under the Parish Development Model (PDM), as the government initiative to eradicate poverty due to overwhelming interventions by the government for post-Covid-19 effects and delays in formulation of parish Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization or Society

Bahati while speaking as the guest of honor at the fundraising service of Mayengo primary school towards the construction of a nursery section block held at Mayengo Church of Uganda in Katuna town council of Kabale district.

The school is hunting for 64.44 million shillings for the construction of the block and Bahati contributed 200 bags of cement and 3.5 million shillings.

According to Bahati, the government had promised to disburse 100 million shillings for every parish at the beginning of this financial year which has not yet been done.

He said that delay to disburse the money was caused by people to form SACCOs at the parish level and all other interventions that the government employed to recover from the financial effects of Covid-19 that the country suffered for two days of Covid-19.

Bahati however said that the government has now finalized plans to have the 100 million shillings for each parish disbursed in the third quarter of the financial year which is January next year.

The chairperson of Mwendo Sacco, Mr Moses Twesigye, said they have about 230 members who have saved about Shs19 million in addition to Shs10 million, which Mr Bahati invested in the same Sacco as his contribution.

“We are grateful to Mr Bahati for the support given to our Sacco because we are able to offer simple loans to food vendors in Kabale Town and farmers that want to do modernised agriculture. We thank Mr Bahati for donating to us a computer and a printer to ease our banking services. We are waiting for his pledge to establish a room where a metallic safe box will be installed to keep member’s savings records,” Mr Twesigye said.

The district planner, Mr Boaz Kakuru, welcomed the idea of establishing Saccos at the village level, arguing that they will deliver services closer to the people.

“We have 728 villages in Kabale and if a Sacco is established at every village, about 2,184 jobs will be created in case each Sacco is to have an accountant, a cashier and an auditor,” Mr Kakuru said.

During the same day, Minister Bahati who doubles as the member of parliament for Ndorwa West County and NRM Chairman, Kabale district donated 150 bags of cement to Kabindi Catholic Church and Five million shillings in cash to katojo church of Uganda in Katuna town council.

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