Nakapiripirit district recently embarked on conducting the Annual General Meetings of the Parish Development Model SACCOs -PDM SACCOs, a head of the fourth phase disbursement.

The meetings brought together key stakeholders and SACCO members to review financial and leadership performances, confirm leadership structures and facilitate applications for additional seed capital under the Parish Development Model -PDM.

The PDM program is a government initiative aimed at promoting wealth and improving household incomes among Ugandans engaged in specialized agricultural enterprises such as Maize cultivation, Sorghum growing, Beans Cultivation, Piggery, Cattle trade, Goat rearing, Poultry, Apiary, among others Through financial inclusion and enterprise development, the program continues to transform communities and strengthen local economic resilience.

The meeting was attended by both the district stakeholders and sub-county stakeholders including the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Deputy RDC, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), District Internal security Officer (DISO), District Commercial Officer (DCO), Senior Commercial Officer (SCO).

And the sub-county stakeholders included the LC3 Chairperson, Sub- County Speaker, Ag. Sub- County Chief, Community Development Officers (CDO) and the Parish Chiefs.

The Resident District Commissioner Nakapiripirit Ajilong Bessy Modesta while addressing SACCO members at Annual General Meetings (AGMs) at Lemusui Sub County emphasized the importance of government wealth-creation programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) in elevating rural households into the money economy. 

She commended the districts founding SACCO members for their role in improving grassroots household incomes and financial inclusion urging members to buy shares, save regularly, and repay their loans to allow other members to benefit from the SACCO's revolving Funds. 

She encouraged communities   to embrace cooperatives, tasked SACCO executives to maintain transparent management, and use AGMs to revamp dormant SACCO operations.

She advised the SACCO leaders to Promote Good Governance and reminded the delegates to strictly follow the Cooperative Societies Act and SACCO bylaws in ensuring transparency, regular audits and credible leadership. 

She warned members against loan defaulting, member Extortion and relying on exploitative money lenders, advocating for SACCOs as a safer, more affordable financial alternative. 

The District Commercial Officer, Mr. Ecau Peter, underscored the importance of financial discipline and transparent management of SACCO resources, emphasizing that sustainability depends on members’ commitment to accountability and shared goals.

He said that for SACCOs to thrive, every member must understand the value of collective responsibility. Let us ensure that every shilling received is accounted for and that records are well maintained. Strong record keeping and clear reporting are the foundation for continued trust and access to additional support,

The meetings that started last week in the sub counties of Lemusui, Tokora Namalu, and Loregae, are meant to assess the progress of the PDM implementations. At the Annual General Meetings (AGMs), SACCOs members reviewed financial and leadership Performances and elected their leaders.

Mr, Lobok Fredrick, the Senior Commercial Officer (PDM Focal Point Person) said that “By law, the SACCOs are supposed to conduct the annual general meetings to evaluate the progress and assess areas that need improvement” 

Lobok guided participants through the process of applying for additional seed capital and improving governance systems, emphasizing the need for leadership training and regular audits to promote transparency.

He encouraged all SACCOs to strengthen their internal controls and adopt best practices in management. This will not only improve loan recovery but also position your SACCOs to benefit from future government interventions he noted 

According to Mr. Lobok, before the disbursement of the fourth PDM revolving funds, the Annual generating meetings were meant to scrutinize the Audit reports that were recently conducted.

He said that so far, the district has received funds of Uganda shilling 3,500,000,000 with a total of 315 enterprise groups formed 

The AGMs provided a platform for members to engage with district stakeholders on strategies for financial empowerment and enterprise growth. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to embracing financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and collective savings as pathways to improved livelihoods.

As a way forward, stakeholders emphasized the need for continuous sensitization and mindset change among SACCOs members to enhance productivity, repayment, and sustainability.

The event marked a significant step towards revitalizing Nakapiripirit SACCOs and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting community-based financial empowerment initiatives.

Nakapiripirit district has a total of 35 SACCOS from the 35 gazetted parishes and registered with Ministry of Trade and Cooperatives and all the PDM SACCOS have received certificates of registration 

By Oboth Henry, Communication Officer