The Gulu district set a deadline of October 15, 2023 for the distribution of all Parish Development Model (PDM) funds to the various recipients.

The instruction was given by Cosmas James Okidi, the Gulu District Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC), on Friday, October 2, 2023 during a PDM stakeholders’ engagement meeting.

The workshop, which was held in the Bungatira Sub-County Headquarters in the Gulu District, was intended for PDM Group Chairpersons.

Okidi gave the SACCO Chairpersons the files of accepted applicants at the same event.

Okidi urged the recipients of the funds to spend it carefully by choosing the recommended businesses, stressing that spending outside of the approved budget would result in penalties as set down in the Public Financial Management Act and other pertinent books of legislation.

Since then, other district officials have reaffirmed their commitment to meeting the deadline.

The aim is attainable, according to Alfred Ocen, the Gulu District Commercial Officer (DCO) and PDM Focal Persons, because they are dedicated to seeing to it that all SACCOSS in the district receive their money by the end of this week.

According to Ocen, the Gulu District has a total of sh5b, which should be divided among the many households in all of the district’s parishes.

As of yet, at least 1300 households have gotten sh107 million each, totaling sh139.1 million allocated to the 1,300 homes spread among the 5,024 parishes in the district’s 37 total parishes, according to his explanation.

Ocen stated, “So far, we have 1300 households whose loans have been approved and disbursed.”

Ocen continued by saying that 1,000 additional recipients had already received approval, and that the SACCOSS executives were currently verifying the information by, among other things, examining bank accounts, approving documents, and transcribing.

We are optimistic that by that time, all funds will have been distributed to the various homes, Ocen stated.

The PDM Disbursement ‘Status Quo’

Okidi also revealed that out of the total 4,024 households/groups in all the 37 parishes of the 11 sub-counties in Gulu District who are to benefit from PDM Money, nearly half of the money have reached the beneficiaries that needs a double efforts for the district to receive the set goal.

Okidi said that the rate at which money is moving into the hands of the beneficiaries is at average of less than fifty percent (50%), where the highest sub-county in the district is Awach that performed to a cumulative rate of 51%; with 130 households receiving their money out of 271 households.

The lowest Sub-county, Paibona, has barely two percent (2%), with only eight (8) of the 428 organisations receiving funding there.

Okidi noted that this is the main reason why the Gulu district wants all groups to have their funding by October 15, 2023.