Museveni Says Gov't Committed to Create Wealth, Jobs

President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated Government's commitment to drive majority of Uganda's population into the money economy. 

Museveni said government is committed to creating wealth and jobs by moving households from the non-money economy to the money economy. 

To achieve this goal, Museveni said the Parish Development Model is the definite answer to accelerate socio-economic transformation. 

"Using this approach, 39% 
households which are currently in the non-money economy the majority of whom are in subsistence agriculture, will move into the money economy," 

He said this while presenting the State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Wednesday at Kololo Independence Grounds. 

He urged Ugandans to embrace PDM for economic transformation.

"The Parish Development Model will increase incomes, improve quality of life and eradicate poverty at household level through modernisation of agriculture, industrialisation, improved services delivery and using modern communication technologies," he said. 

However, Museveni noted that some people have abused the good intentions of the program. 

"When I visited some parts of the country, I was told that some of the PDM money, has been given to people who are not eligible. This includes politicians and public servants. In some cases, a few elite people come together and form SACCOS and take all the funds released for the entire Parish. The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested a number of culprits in the Acholi Zone," he said. 

He pledged to crack a whip on all the corrupt officials mismanaging PDM funds during his forthcoming upcountry tour.

"I am coming to all the other zones so thieves be on alert. I have also been to Masaka and I found there some prison candidates," Museveni said.

On fighting corruption, On corruption, Museveni said the emphasis will be put on the implementation of E-government systems to ensure transparency and accountability.

“Doing things through the computer eliminates these meetings in hotels between gov’t officials and business people,” he said.

He added that government will in the immediate term invest more on electricity generation to cope up the increasing demand which has hit 15% per year.