By Bondry Kilenga
In a bid to promote digital literacy, financial inclusion, and hasten loan disbursement, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), has distributed tablets to leaders of Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) under the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Kotido District and Municipality.
According to a circular from Golooba Lwanga, the Manager of the Financial Inclusion Pillar for the Parish Development Model at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Kotido District was allocated 61 tablets while the Municipality received 19 tablets.
These were handed over to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the District Commercial Officer, Town Clerk, Commercial Officer, PDM Focal Point Person, and SACCO leaders on Monday at the district headquarters.
The tablets equipped with an app used for registering and profiling groups eligible to benefit from the PDM, come with chargers, and crucial solar cell chargers, ensuring functionality even in areas with limited electricity access.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held recently, Francis Obita, the Kotido District Commercial Officer, explained that the tablets are intended to ease the profiling of beneficiaries and ensure timely disbursement of funds.
He said that the move aims to enhance digital literacy and financial inclusion across Kotido and revolutionise the operations of SACCOs, moving the active poor from a subsistence economy to a money economy, thereby fostering sustainable economic growth.
According to Obita, with internet connectivity, PDM SACCO leaders will now be able to access resources on financial management best practices and maintain close links with government programmes and financial institutions.
Elizabeth Kapel, a Town Agent in Kotido Municipality, expressed optimism about the expected improvements.
Kapel reflected that the earlier dependence on parish chiefs’ tablets often led to miscommunication and errors, which the new initiative aims to eliminate.
“These tablets will now save us from using outdated systems, and relying on manual record-keeping and paper-based transactions, practices that often result in inefficiencies, errors, and a lack of transparency in fund management,” said Kapel.
Quinto Adyaka, Chairperson of the Kotido Rural PDM SACCO in the Central Division, echoed similar concerns saying that they had been playing a waiting game, reliant on external figures who sometimes mismanaged data entry, resulting in applications being rejected or delayed.
He said that this cumbersome process not only frustrated SACCO leaders but also denied many community members timely access to crucial funds.
With the tablets in place, Jolly Lokawa the secretary Kotido north PDM SACCO, loan processing for members and keep SACCO recording, which have been a challenge, would improved.
However,Mary Atuma, a local businesswoman and PDM SACCO member, stressed the importance of ongoing capacity-building:
“It’s vital that these leaders not only receive tablets but also continuous training to maximise their potential. Technology is only as effective as the person using it,” Atuma urged.
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