Corruption and fraud in the Parish Development Model (PDM) program will be dealt with, and recipients will receive their funds, according to Julius Kapesewe, PDM secretariat technical advisor in charge of policy and research.
According to him, when the program began two years ago amid problems, they managed and dispersed billions of shillings, indicating that something is being done to eradicate the sin from the program.
“Issues of corruption in PDM are increasingly going to be eliminated, and the right beneficiaries get the money,” Kapesewe stated during a press conference at the Margarita Hotel in Lira City on Wednesday. This was following a presentation on the status of PDM.
Kapesewe was giving a presentation at the regional consultative workshops for the local government budget for fiscal year 2024/2025.
The workshops were designed to present the government’s budget strategy and goals for the fiscal year 2024/2025, as well as to examine investment possibilities to support development growth plans and budget implementation difficulties affecting service delivery.
President Yoweri Museveni established PDM, and each parish in Uganda is expected to get Sh100 million every fiscal year for the next five years.
Since the start of PDM implementation, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has stated that the government has donated sh2.3 trillion to 10,594 parishes across the nation.
Six persons were detained in Kole district three weeks ago, including district commercial officer Emmanuel Okao, for alleged PDM fraud.
District commercial officer Okao, Ogwangacuma ward chairperson Edward Okwee, Maktic group chairperson Richard Elok, Acan Pe Kun chairperson Geoffrey Ojok, Omolo farmers chairperson Moses Omara, and Bed Amwol group chairperson Umar Ekora were among those detained.
However, Kapesewe stated that there are more hurdles, especially when you first start, but they are now more serious as a country and confident in their ability to solve the situation.
Kapesewe refuted a suggestion that SACCO officials are being enticed to engage in corruption since they are not being assisted.
According to PDM standards, each home is meant to get sh1m, and anyone who fails to do so shall be arrested.
