Lands Minister, Judith Nabakooba, has urged Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries in Mityana district to use the money as expected.
While commissioning the Shs1.6 billion PDM cash at the Municipal Council Headquarters on July 26, where 305 beneficiaries received during the first batch, she advised them to put the funds in their various enterprises.
“Each of you subscribes to different SACCO groups with projects of your choice. Use the money in those projects such that by the time the two years elapse, you are able to return back the loan in the third year as directed by the president,” she urged.
Mityana Municipality has 225 enterprise groups formed out of 15 wards from three Divisions of Busimbi, Ttamu, and the Central Division. Each ward is expected to receive Shs107 million.
An individual will receive Shs 1 million on their accounts, and they are given three years before returning the money. Nabakooba thanked President Museveni for initiating the programme entitled for the low income earners.
She explained that the programme is meant for the poor Ugandans who live for survival and they want to change the narrative such that they can as well have something to save.
According to Nabakooba, PDM is going to be the last mile of lifting the standards of Ugandans who are still in poverty to improve their household incomes.
She revealed that 35 per cent of the people in Mityana are below the poverty line, and with PDM, at least the number will go down.
Through the programme, the PDM committee will be given Shs 250,000 every quarter of the year and Shs 100,000 to the SACCO leaders per month for facilitation. With this, no person is allowed to use PDM cash, which is meant for people.
“A person is only required to open up a bank account which costs between Shs 5000 and Shs10,000 according the Bank,” she explained.
Mityana District PDM focal person, Ms Grace Nakuya in Mityana said the programme was introduced way back in the 2021/2022 Financial Year but a lot needed to be done before money could be given to prospective beneficiaries.
“We had to mobilise all households to benefit from the Parish revolving fund because there was a need for education about how money can be handled. It took a while to collect data from our local people to scrutinize the entitled beneficiaries,” she said.
Africano Aharikundira, the Mityana Resident District Commissioner, cautioned banks that give out loans in the name of PDM to stop it as soon as possible.
“Please don’t use the government name to put our people into troubles. I ask you to use another approach when giving out loans to people,” he ordered.
She revealed that the President decided to be giving Shs2 billion to Mityana for rehabilitation of all roads in the Municipality and the district every year. This, she said, will link the produce from PDM enterprises to the markets.
The Lands minister also gave an update on the Physical Development Plan for Mityana tow. She said her ministry is working with the Municipal Council, and she promised to avail it to the public in case it is accomplished.
She reminded the locals to always guard their Bibanja and land jealously, reasoning that it is the best source of wealth.
In a bid to resolve land conflicts, the minister also reached Namukozi-Nambale village, where an investor blocked people from using the route that go through his farm.
She promised to engage the investor to ensure that they are given a right of way to create sanity in the area.