President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to deal with civil servants involved in the theft of funds released for the Parish Development Model – PDM.
During a special parliament sitting at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Thursday, President Museveni focused his speech on the PDM project. Government launched the implementation of the (PDM) using a whole-of-Government approach in February, 2022. The overarching goal of the PDM is to attain socioeconomic transformation based on improved productivity on households and enterprises at parish level.
The President noted that much as every parish was supposed to receive 17 million shillings, some parishes only received 10 million while others got only 6 million. He cited the Acholi sub-region where he has received complaints from locals of embezzlement.
The President said that while touring the region in February, aggrieved individuals seeking to benefit from the PDM complained about public servants who secretly form PDM leadership to fleece intending beneficiaries.
Museveni said he was told of leaders who are frustrating the program.
” Each parish was supposed to get 17 million but some got 7 while others got 10, so where did all the other money go? Uganda is here we shall get you. The wanaichi told me of the parasites that were like flies swarming around the PDM and Emyooga money. I will decisively follow up the attemped stealing and they will pay for that treachery they will be an example to the rest” he said
According to the President, in the Financial Year 2021/2022, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development released up to 131.4 billion Shillings to facilitate PDM but the funds have been misappropriated and largely remain unaccounted for.
Museveni further pointed out that 476.9 billion Shillings remain pending in the treasury yet to be sent to the different village Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies;SACCOs.
By June 2023,the Government expects to disburse tothe SACCOs 1,059 trillion Shillings.
As of now, available statistics by the Ministry of Finance indicate that only 9,538 out of 10,594 PDM-SACCOs have been formed across the country, indicating a 90 percent