Buganda region has a very good opportunity to catch up with growing regions in the country through the emyooga program, Minister Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune says.
According to Kasolo, the state minister for microfinance, the sayings ‘let’s wait for Karamoja to develop’ no longer make sense as the regions have taken on a growth path with good results.
He gave the example of the recently launched African Hotel in Karamoja to drive his point home.
Kasolo was meeting fishermen at Ggaba Beach as part of his campaign to popularize the Emyooga presidential initiative on job and wealth creation.
“Buganda is lagging behind as other regions like Karamoja are fast growing. This is because some of our people went astray,” Kasolo said on Friday.
He added, “The problem is not money but how prepared are we to use money.”
He also reiterated his argument that leadership is a cornerstone in the development of society.
“It’s the responsibility of leaders to explain to the citizens government programs. Dont heed advice of some leaders who drive you to things like riots where you lay your lives for the sake of others,” Kasolo said.
He told the fishermen that President Yoweri Museveni is determined to end poverty but that it will take the efforts of citizens as well.
Later, he met with restaurant owners and those engaged in carpentry where he delivered the same message at the KCCA Gardens in the city centre.
Emyooga was launched by H.E the President of Uganda in August 2019 as part of Government’s continuous strategies to transform 68% of Ugandan homesteads from subsistence to market-oriented production.
It is financed by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development through the Department of Microfinance.
Kasolo also explained the how the Emyooga program works, encouraging the operators to save and unite.
The Microfinance Support Centre Ltd (MSC) is responsible for the planning, management, budgeting, reporting and accountability of all funds disbursed for the program. This includes funds disbursements to the groups and training of members and leaders.
The Emyooga programme was conceived to scale up direct support to communities through establishment of various specialized funds/Myooga-specific Apex SACCOs at constituency level but with operations/branches at parish level. This approach is consistent with the parish model adopted in the National Development Plan 3.
It targets Ugandans from 18 clusters including; Boda boda riders, taxi drivers, restaurants, welders, market vendors, women entrepreneurs, youth leaders, people with disabilities, journalists, performing artists, veterans, fishermen, and elected leaders who form saccos and each gets shs30 million as seed capital.
As part of the arrangement, shs30m has been earmarked for each SACCO as seed capital while SACCOs involving leaders will get shs50m.
