By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE
Many would be beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model in Bukedi sub region are leaving their SACCOs because of delayed release of funds.
This was revealed by Dunstan Balaba, the Chief Administrative Officer of Tororo district also doubling as chairperson of chief administrative officers countrywide during parish development model evaluation workshop for Bukedi sub region on Friday, 9th September, 2022.
Balaba said that most of the groups created at parish level are disappearing slowly and it will be hard for government to trace them when the funds are released.
He adds that this has come up because people have started losing hope in the program since the money is taking a long time to be given.
Balaba also narrated that in 2021/2022 government released money depending on the number of SACCOs or groups at parish level to 5 district local governments out of 7 districts in Bukedi sub region but money was not enough for all SACCOs as planned early.
Balaba says that the ministry of finance guided them to instead use that money to do other activities like training parish chiefs, beneficiaries, transport, procuring smart phones, gadgets for parish chiefs among other duties such that they wait for more money to come before giving SACCOs which has never happened up to now.
However, Javelin Kalisa, the Deputy Parish Development Model National Coordinator disagreed with Balaba saying that the parish development program has already kicked off with training of all beneficiaries and parish chiefs so that they don’t fail the program like previous ones.
She advised the Chief Administrative Officers who have already received the money under parish development model program Phase One to leave the money at the account until they will be told which activity to fund.
Kalisa also says that the government is ready to arrest any technocrats who will be found withdrawing money from the parish development program for any work without permission.
