Here is how the youth fund is distributed at district level
The Youth Livelihood Programme was approved by Cabinet on September 4, 2013, passed by Parliament on September 13, 2013 and officially launched by the President on the January 24, 2014. The programme is a product of wide consultation among the youth of Uganda through their leadership, civil society organisations, development partners, Members of Parliament and Cabinet, among others.
The objective of this programme is to empower the target youth in Uganda to harness their socio-economic potential and increase self-employment opportunities and income levels.
The Youth Livelihood Programme has an approved budget of Shs265 billion for the initial five years beginning FY 2013-14. For the current FY2013-14, the programme was allocated Shs19.25 billion, of which only Shs15.9 billion has so far been released by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Ninety per cent of the fund under this programme is allocated to financing youth projects generated and approved by the district local governments. Ten per cent is for operation costs at the sub-county, district and national level.
Owing to the inadequate funds released by the Finance ministry for FY 2013-14, the ministry if Gender has adopted a phased approach of implementation beginning with 27 districts selected on the basis of youth unemployment rates, poverty count and land area. The rest of the districts will be covered in the FY 2014-2015.
Implementation of the programme has started with setting up systems – establishment of the secretariat and development of simplified guidelines –and preparation of the districts to undertake their roles and responsibilities, including mobilisation and creating awareness, beneficiary selection, project proposal preparation, project appraisal and approval, etc. This has already been done in the 27 districts under Phase I.
The funds so far spent on the above activities are in accordance with the approved annual work-plan and budget for the operations funds for FY 2013-14. No single youth project has been funded as yet, as the first submission of approved youth projects by the districts to the ministry of Gender is expected in the fourth week of April, 2014.
The youth shall receive support through groups of 10-15 members, not individuals as alleged by opposition politicians. There is no way an individual can access the funds, except through duly selected groups. It is, therefore, wrong for the opposition leaders to allege that the Gender ministry has used the youth funds to finance individuals to the tune Shs40 billion through mere instructions from the IGP.
The selection of the beneficiaries, preparation, appraisal and approval of the youth projects is a responsibility of local governments; not any individual person or the ministry of Gender.
The 27 district under Phase I have already begun the process of issuing interest forms and selection of beneficiaries and are expected to make the first submissions by the end April 2014. These submissions will constitute the first youth projects that will receive funding by the second week of May 2014.
All the youth project funds under the Youth Livelihood Programme have been allocated to the districts and the Indicative Planning Figures have been communicated to the districts to be managed by them.
The Gender ministry does not have any funds set aside at the headquarters to dish out to individuals or groups. The youth funds will be channeled directly to Youth Interest Groups through their respective Youth Livelihood Programme project accounts.
This programme has well laid out implementation guidelines and fund access criteria to which the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is committed to ensure they are meticulously, religiously and judiciously adhered to by all implementers at all levels, without exception.
The implementation of the programme has taken off and is on course. We, therefore, call upon the public, especially the youth, to be part of this process and avoid any diversionary propaganda intended to disrupt smooth implementation and realisation of the programme’s development objective.
Mr Mondo is the assistant commissioner for youth affairs/spokesperson Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
The objective of this programme is to empower the target youth in Uganda to harness their socio-economic potential and increase self-employment opportunities and income levels.
The Youth Livelihood Programme has an approved budget of Shs265 billion for the initial five years beginning FY 2013-14. For the current FY2013-14, the programme was allocated Shs19.25 billion, of which only Shs15.9 billion has so far been released by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Ninety per cent of the fund under this programme is allocated to financing youth projects generated and approved by the district local governments. Ten per cent is for operation costs at the sub-county, district and national level.
Owing to the inadequate funds released by the Finance ministry for FY 2013-14, the ministry if Gender has adopted a phased approach of implementation beginning with 27 districts selected on the basis of youth unemployment rates, poverty count and land area. The rest of the districts will be covered in the FY 2014-2015.
Implementation of the programme has started with setting up systems – establishment of the secretariat and development of simplified guidelines –and preparation of the districts to undertake their roles and responsibilities, including mobilisation and creating awareness, beneficiary selection, project proposal preparation, project appraisal and approval, etc. This has already been done in the 27 districts under Phase I.
The funds so far spent on the above activities are in accordance with the approved annual work-plan and budget for the operations funds for FY 2013-14. No single youth project has been funded as yet, as the first submission of approved youth projects by the districts to the ministry of Gender is expected in the fourth week of April, 2014.
The youth shall receive support through groups of 10-15 members, not individuals as alleged by opposition politicians. There is no way an individual can access the funds, except through duly selected groups. It is, therefore, wrong for the opposition leaders to allege that the Gender ministry has used the youth funds to finance individuals to the tune Shs40 billion through mere instructions from the IGP.
The selection of the beneficiaries, preparation, appraisal and approval of the youth projects is a responsibility of local governments; not any individual person or the ministry of Gender.
The 27 district under Phase I have already begun the process of issuing interest forms and selection of beneficiaries and are expected to make the first submissions by the end April 2014. These submissions will constitute the first youth projects that will receive funding by the second week of May 2014.
All the youth project funds under the Youth Livelihood Programme have been allocated to the districts and the Indicative Planning Figures have been communicated to the districts to be managed by them.
The Gender ministry does not have any funds set aside at the headquarters to dish out to individuals or groups. The youth funds will be channeled directly to Youth Interest Groups through their respective Youth Livelihood Programme project accounts.
This programme has well laid out implementation guidelines and fund access criteria to which the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is committed to ensure they are meticulously, religiously and judiciously adhered to by all implementers at all levels, without exception.
The implementation of the programme has taken off and is on course. We, therefore, call upon the public, especially the youth, to be part of this process and avoid any diversionary propaganda intended to disrupt smooth implementation and realisation of the programme’s development objective.
Mr Mondo is the assistant commissioner for youth affairs/spokesperson Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
By Kyateka F. Mondo
Posted Tuesday, April 22 2014 at 21:04
Daily Monitor
Posted Tuesday, April 22 2014 at 21:04
Daily Monitor
Mondo says this is in response to the false claims made by Opposition leaders – Democratic Party president Norbert Mao, Uganda Peoples Congress leader Olara Otunnu, Gen Mugisha Muntu who is the president of Forum for Democratic Change, and former FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye – in the media recently.
The Opposition alleged, among other things, that Shs40 billion meant for youth projects under the Youth Livelihood Programme, had been diverted and used to bribe individuals to join NRM on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, to the Gender ministry Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana.
They also claimed the programme is a political slush fund that had not duly been approved by Parliament and that the set procedures of accessing funds under the programme had been flawed.
These allegations are misleading, inaccurate and unfortunate. These are national leaders who are supposed to epitomise judicious diligence in whatever they do or communicate.
