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Govt threatens to arrest Emyooga fund defaulters
Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa (left) addresses beneficiaries of the Emyooga fund in Ruhinda North County, Mitooma District, on August 12. PHOTO/ ALEX ESAGALA
What you need to know:
- Government allocated Shs260b Emyooga fund to Uganda Microfinance Support Centre, which was disbursed all over the country.
- Government Chief Whip says government will revise the loan repayment period from six months to one year to give people a grace period to pay back the money.
Government Chief Whip and Ruhinda North County Member of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has said Emyooga fund defaulters should be arrested and prosecuted.
While addressing beneficiaries of the fund on Thursday at Bitereko Sub-county in Ruhinda North, Mr Tayebwa said the Emyooga fund is not a presidential handout, stressing that whenever the President wants to give out money to his people, he uses ruling party NRM structures.
But he said the Emyooga fund is sent through the Local Government structures.
“It is very important for people to know that this money for Emyooga is for paying back. It’s government money and taxpayer’s money. So if you took it, you have to pay it back because this is a loan,” Mr Tayebwa said.
He was responding to some of the challenges raised by chairpersons of the Saccos, who criticised their members who have defaulted on paying back the loans.
Mr Tayebwa said government will revise the loan repayment period from six months to one year to give people a grace period to pay back the money.
The Mitooma District LC5 chairperson, Mr Benon Karyeija, said Emyooga has promoted the culture of hard work, saying it created employment opportunities for the staff working in the Saccos in the district.
Mr Karyeija said the district has 51 Saccos and appealed to government to continue supporting them through training of staff and providing computers to the Saccos.
Ankole region zonal manager of the Micro Finance Support Centre, Mr Andrew Zzimbe, said Mitooma alone received Shs1.5b but said Ruhinda North County only received Shs560m for Emyooga.
Sacco chairpersons speak out
Ruhinda North boda boda Sacco chairperson Joachim Kato said they received Shs30m and out of the money they have disbursed Shs25m to members as loans.
Mr Augustus Sande, the chairperson of the Kalangala Parish People with Disabilities Sacco, said Covid-19 affected them since the President imposed a lockdown and they could not work.
“In my group, so far no one has failed to return the instalment. But I know in three months, they will fail because they are not selling their merchandise in the markets due to the lockdown,” he said.
Background
Last week, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among suspended the House for seven days to allow legislators to investigate the implementation of the Emyooga fund.
Government allocated Shs260b Emyooga fund to Uganda Microfinance Support Centre, which was disbursed all over the country.
