Govt to delete ‘rich people’ from PDM beneficiary lists

The State minister for Microfinance, Mr Haruna Kasolo, has directed authorities in Kyotera District to remove the names of individuals classified as rich from the lists of Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiary groups.

During his countrywide PDM monitoring programme in Kyotera District on September 25, Mr Kasolo was shocked to discover that, despite the PDM's focus on supporting the poor, wealthy individuals, including those involved in import and export businesses, had been listed as beneficiaries, while the poor were excluded.

“In our countrywide tour and monitoring programme, we have discovered that businessmen and women importing goods from China and Dubai are among the PDM beneficiaries in some areas. This is irregular and against the guidelines. Remove names of the rich from the PDM lists,” he said.

He added: "When you choose to deny the poor access to the PDM funds in favour of the rich, you are frustrating the government efforts targeting the uplifting of the poor. The PDM funds are supposed to benefit the poor and not people that are already under the rich category."

Kyotera District, with its 60 parishes, has so far received Shs14 billion for its 66 registered Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos). According to a report from the PDM Secretariat, a total of 8,031 individuals have been selected to benefit from the funds.

Greater Masaka Sub-region, which includes Masaka City and the nine other districts, received Shs22 billion as PDM package. 

The other districts include Kalangala, Kalungu, Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Rakai, Masaka District and Kyotera.

Mr Kasolo directed the Kyotera Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Apollo Mugume, to take charge of arresting anyone interfering with the selection process of the poor individuals who are supposed to receive the funds in the next quarter of this financial year.

“We want each poor person to get this small capital of Shs1 million and engage in productive ventures for the sustainable development of their families,” he said.

Issue

At Kasasa Trading Centre, residents informed the minister that local chiefs refused to include those in trading centres on the PDM lists, arguing that they lack permanent residences to establish productive ventures, and it would be difficult to track them down when it is time to repay the funds.

In another meeting with residents of the Industrial Ward in Kyotera Town Council, Mr Mugume stated that his office has begun visiting all villages to verify the lists of PDM beneficiaries. 

He added that LC1 chairpersons and parish chiefs have been instructed to remove any individuals whose names were fraudulently added to the beneficiary lists.

“Of the 8,031 beneficiary households, many well-to-do-people have been cited on the lists of PDM beneficiaries and the process of removing their names has started. He revealed that some local leaders and parish chiefs are being investigated for exercising corrupt tendencies in the PDM programme. 

“These unscrupulous leaders and chiefs are going to explain to us why they denied the extremely poor a chance to benefit from the PDM funds and if found guilty, they will be charged in courts of law,” he said.

“Authorities in the district have decided the verification of all names of the intended PDM beneficiaries to be done jointly with the RDC's office to curb the habit of leaders and chiefs depriving the intended extreme poor a right to benefit from the fund,” he added.

Invest

Kyotera County MP John Paul Mpalanyi urged PDM beneficiaries to invest the money in the selected income-generating projects as guided by the district PDM focal persons so that they can generate income for sustaining their households.

Kyotera District Commercial Officer Mathias Kisekulo said the lack of financial support for parish Sacco leaders has driven many of them to resort to extortion and accepting bribes.

In April, the government released Shs267 billion to be disbursed among 5,322 vetted Saccos countrywide. PDM is a government initiative meant to uplift the poor by providing them with funds to invest in money-generating projects.