Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has issued a stern warning to Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries, urging them not to pay any money to anyone to access their loans.
The Minister made the remarks on Monday while announcing the release of UGX 529 billion, the first tranche for the 2025/26 financial year, to all 10,589 verified PDM SACCOs across the country.
Kasaija emphasised that the PDM is designed to empower households—not to enrich fraudsters and unscrupulous officials. “No beneficiary should pay even a single coin to access their PDM cash,” he said firmly. “Anyone who abuses the PDM system will be punished according to the law, firmly and swiftly.”
The Minister directed Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), and all Accounting Officers to act decisively on any reports of extortion, warning that the government will not tolerate any form of corruption in a programme meant for the poorest households.
UGX 50 Million Going Directly to Each Verified SACCO
Kasaija announced that each SACCO will receive UGX 50 million, which will be followed by a second tranche of UGX 50 million before June 2026, in line with PDM policy.
“Starting tomorrow, all verified SACCOs will have their money deposited directly into their PDM accounts,” he said.
He reassured Ugandans that the programme is functioning exactly as intended. “The Parish Development Model is no longer a theory. It is a reality. It is in your parishes. It is in your households,” Kasaija noted. “PDM is growing bigger, stronger, and more impactful.”
Minister Calls for Discipline, Savings, and Proper Loan Recovery
Kasaija urged SACCO leaders to prioritise proper selection of beneficiaries, strict monitoring, and timely loan recovery to ensure the sustainability of parish economies.
“You must save, invest, repay, and build your SACCOs,” he advised beneficiaries. “This is how you grow strong parish economies.”
He reminded leaders that mismanagement would undermine the programme’s long-term impact.
PDM Investments Already Transforming Households
According to the Ministry of Finance, beneficiaries across the country have already invested billions in productive enterprises: UGX 385 billion in coffee, UGX 1.1 trillion in food and cash crops, UGX 1.1 trillion in livestock, especially piggery and UGX 366 billion in poultry.
“These investments show that PDM is working,” Kasaija said. “We are witnessing a real transformation.”
Government Reaffirms Commitment to Funding PDM
Kasaija reiterated that the government remains committed to ensuring the programme operates at full scale. “When President Museveni promised UGX 1 trillion every year to the parishes, some doubted. But as always, the NRM Government has delivered,” he said.
So far, the government has released UGX 3.216 trillion directly to PDM SACCOs, with 3.27 million Ugandans benefiting from the funds.
Kasaija concluded by urging all Ugandans to report any fraudulent practices and protect the integrity of the PDM, which he described as “a lifeline for ordinary households seeking to escape poverty.”
