Finance Minister Hon Matia Kasaija has issued warning to Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries, cautioning them against paying any money to access their loans.
His message came as government released Shs 529 billion to all verified PDM SACCOs across the country, while addressing the media on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Kasaija made it clear that no beneficiary should hand over even a single shilling in “processing fees,” saying the scheme is fully funded and designed to reach Ugandans directly.
He directed Resident District Commissioners, District Internal Security Officers and Accounting Officers to crack down on individuals attempting to exploit the programme.
“Anyone who abuses the PDM system will be punished according to the law, firmly and swiftly,” Kasaija warned.
He added that SACCO leaders must uphold strict standards in selecting beneficiaries, monitoring projects and recovering funds.
The minister urged SACCO members to save consistently, invest wisely and repay their loans on time to strengthen their cooperatives and grow parish-level economies.
Kasaija reinstated the government’s commitment to making PDM a vehicle for grassroots transformation, saying the programme is already proving its impact.
“When President Museveni promised UGX 1 trillion every year to the parishes, some doubted. But as always, the NRM government has delivered,” he said.
The Parish Development Model was formally launched by President Yoweri Museveni on 26 February 2022, in Kibuku District in Eastern Uganda.
Its central objective is to lift roughly 39% of Ugandan households those stuck in subsistence farming into the money economy, thereby reducing poverty and improving living standards.
