Resident District Commissioner Justine Mbabazi claims that the days of dishonest Parish Development Model (PDM) program implementers are numbered in Wakiso.
She claims she intends to hold barazas (public gatherings) in each parish to keep an eye on the initiative. She claims that this will lessen the instances in which implementers defraud beneficiaries. There have been multiple accounts of program implementers giving beneficiaries less than one million shillings.
Under the PDM program, which is supported by the government, every parish gets 100 million shillings per fiscal year. The funds are intended to be borrowed and repaid in order to assist individuals who were not able to participate in the first round and to help the 39% of Ugandans who do not have access to the money economy.
“I’m going to start organizing barazas in every parish to monitor the PDM program, so those giving out less than one million to our people are going to face it rough,” declares Mbabazi.
The RDC made the comments on Monday at the town council headquarters during the budget conference that the Wakiso town council had organized.
In order to end poverty in their homes, she urged the town council officials to ensure that the residents of Wakiso town council profit from this government initiative.
However, she criticized the town council officials for neglecting to clean the Wakiso town council, claiming that it now smells strongly of sulfur.
Mbabazi suggested that Wakiso town council mayor Fredrick Mukalazi initiate community service projects with the goal of maintaining Wakiso town council’s cleanliness through weekly road sweeping.
peaceful methods of obtaining taxes
The RDC gave the mayor an order to stop sealing people’s businesses while collecting taxes right away, claiming that doing so damages the reputation of the National Resistance Movement, the party in power.
She remarked, “Use peace while collecting taxes and do not incite hatred toward our president.”
Mbabazi requested that the mayor address the concerns brought up by the people during the budget meeting, such as the inadequate roads and the construction of markets.
Mayor regrets
Mayor Fredson Mukalazi of the Wakiso Town Council cited the rubbish as a particularly difficult task and mentioned that the garbage collection truck was experiencing mechanical issues.
People want their roads fixed, but the town council does not have the funds to fix every road in the town council, as Mukalazi noted.
Paddy Ntume, the former speaker of the Wakiso town council, urged the town council officials to keep politics out of the Parish Development Model [PDM], arguing that it is a program for the underprivileged.