Minister grills Zombo Leaders over delayed disbursement of PDM funds

The state minister of northern Uganda Grace Freedom Kwiocwiny, has expressed dissatisfaction with Zombo District technocrats over the delayed disbursement of PDM funds to the intended beneficiaries.

Zombo District local government has 61 Parishes, meaning the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Gender, labour and Social Development disbursed a total of Ugx 6.1 billion to the District. 

The minister during the Tareasita and NRM belated day celebration for Zombo District at Zeu Playground in Zeu Sub-County, was perplexed upon learning that over Ugx  2 billion shillings out of the 6 billion the District received, is still in the bank yet it should be in the hands of beneficiaries.

” I’m not very happy because by this time, they should have disbursed all the 6.1 billion to the beneficiaries but as of now, they have only disbursed 4 billion. So I’m going to talk with the CAO, they should disburse the money, most of the other Districts have already disbursed their money and people are using it for household empowerment”.

The minister added that ” work in Zombo is going slow, if there is any challenge with data collection, they should let us know”. 

She also rallies locals to use the revolving funds effectively to bring meaningful change in their lives.

The minister’s statement elicited thunderous applause from members of the public,  who in choruses shouted at the top of their of voices about the challenges they are facing in accessing the funds courtesy of “extreme red tape ”   from the district technocrats.

The noise paused the minister’s speech several times, opening a can of worms on the untold suffering the locals have been going through to access the funds.

Recently, the Media fraternity in Zombo District through their executive director Alex Pithua, expressed deep concern about thinly sliced information about PDM progress in Zombo.

Through the Parish development model, the government intends to raise 39 per cent of Ugandans locked in subsistence to Money-oriented production through provisions of funds at the grassroots level.

Since the launch of the program, many Ugandans have been living happily upon each receiving funds totalling Ugx 1 million or less.

In Zombo District, many laughed all away to the bank but thousands are between the hard place and the rock upon failing to receive the cash meant for them.

The whispereye news understands that about 6, 000 beneficiaries have received funds in the district.

In response, The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Zombo Edward Eco revealed that what was delaying the disbursement was the wrong national Identification numbers filled by beneficiaries. He assured the public that all has been sorted and beneficiaries will start receiving funds in two weeks.

” What is remaining is 2.1 billion which we shall be disbursed in 2 weeks. The team from Kampala has been able to support the parish development management information system. The system is now flowing. Beneficiaries are identified by the national Identification numbers, earlier, some beneficiaries didn’t have the information” Eco told the Whisper Eye News in an interview.

What the locals are saying

Responding to technical glitches  about national Identification numbers, Donald Kasamba, A PDM loan secretary for Asina Parish Abanga Sub-county refutes the statement saying “All IDS were photocopied and given to the parish chiefs to fill, meaning the mistakes were made by them not us”

A resident of Zingili cell Paidha Town Council only identified as  Mungungeyu has given upon failing to receive the funds after months of struggle. Whilst talking to this publication,  he said he had lost hope completely.

” I started following the issue of PDM last year but nothing is yielding, I don’t want to follow anything about the program anymore” Said Mungungeyu.

A resident of Nyibola ward Paidha Town Council who preferred to call himself Ojok said he had forgotten about the program upon spending money on every step.

” The SAACO chairpersons keep on asking for money from us every day yet nothing is coming, when you ask, they say the money is coming next week and you end up waiting in vain, I don’t want to waste my time any more” Ojok explained.

Zombo District has already disbursed  PDM funds of about Ugx 4 billion out of the 6.1 billion received, meaning 2.1 billion is intact.