Lango Saccos stuck with Shs19b Parish Model cash
What you need to know:
- The guidelines now require that the money be accessed by an individual member not as a group.
A total of 582 of Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos) across Lango sub-region are expected to share Shs19.06 billion under the Parish Development Model (PDM) in the first phase of the programme.
However, the would-be beneficiaries cannot access the money because of the change in guidelines on individual member access, according to a survey conducted by this newspaper early this month.
Mr Ceasar Obadah, the programme coordinator in the office of the National Chairman of National Resistance Movement (NRM), confirmed that each Sacco in Lango got Shs32.7 million.
The Monitor has established that at least 54 PDM Saccos in Lira have been approved for funding. The others are Alebtong [69], Kole [49], Apac [33], Amolatar [83], Dokolo [53], Otuke [51], Oyam [72], Kwania [49], Lira City [49] and Apac Municipality [20].
However, since the guidelines now require that the money be accessed by an individual member not as a group, the funds will now be channelled directly to Sacco members.
As a result, this has affected the smooth implementation of the government’s ambitious pro-poor development programme.
Mr John Omodo, the chairperson of Chegere Parish PDM Sacco in Chegere Sub-county, Apac District, is not happy about the slow progress in the implementation of the programme.
“I don’t understand whether we really have money in our bank account though leaders in the district have assured us the money is there,” he said.
Bardek-Atik Parish Sacco in Atik Division, Apac Municipality with 37 enterprise groups, has already received Shs32 million in their bank account.
Mr Alfred Alok, the Sacco chairperson, said 10 members have already been selected to benefit from the fund in the first phase.
“Members were told to open their personal bank accounts and it’s now time for buying seeds but they are unable to access the fund,” he said.
“Many people are now discouraged because of the delay in disbursing the funds to their personal bank accounts,” he added.
The Apac Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr George Abudul, said Apac Municipal Council has already finalised the preparation of groups and has already submitted the list of beneficiaries for funding.
“So, any time we are going to launch the disbursement of funds to the individuals who will be the first beneficiaries. However, Apac District still has some procedures to complete before the money is channelled to the beneficiaries,” he said.
Ms Susan Adongo, a member of Nyeko Pe Lonyi’ at Tekulu Cell, lpito-Aweno Ward, said their Sacco leaders made them fill a 21-page form and their application was approved but they had not yet received the money.
“dfcu Bank officials even opened for us bank accounts in mid-March but up to now we have not received any money in our bank accounts,” Ms Adongo said.
Mr Andrew Ocen of Otimi Ikom Wa Sacco in Kakoge “B” Cell in Lira City West Division, said they were told during a recent meeting for the selected beneficiary groups that leaders of their groups are the ones who are supposed to receive the money.
“We were told that Shs1 million would be credited into our leaders bank accounts which was opened at dfcu, then they withdraw and give it out to our group members in form of a loan but they keep telling us that they have not yet got the money,” Mr Ocen said.
BACKGROUND
PDM aims at moving households still trapped in the subsistence economy to the money economy by emphasising agricultural value-chain development to increase commercial production.
Compiled by Bill Oketch, Patrick Ebong & Santo Ojok
