The Parish Development Model (PDM) has reached more than 3.57 million beneficiaries as Government investment in the programme's Parish Revolving Fund rises to Shs4.317 trillion, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Finance.

The programme, which is designed to help households move from subsistence production into Uganda's money economy, has so far reached 3,571,108 beneficiaries through 10,589 PDM Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs).

Government says each SACCO has received at least Shs400 million over the four-year implementation period.

Under the programme, eligible beneficiaries can access loans of up to Shs1 million at an annual interest rate of 6 percent, with repayment spread over three years and a two-year grace period.

The latest progress was reviewed during an inter-ministerial PDM meeting chaired by the Minister of State for Microfinance, Shartsi Musherure, at the Ministry of Finance.

The meeting brought together ministers and technical officials overseeing the seven PDM pillars to review implementation, improve coordination and identify reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, sustainability and the programme's impact on households.

Data from the Ministry of Finance's Financial Inclusion Pillar report shows that adults aged between 31 and 59 years account for the largest proportion of beneficiaries.

They number 1,946,086, representing 54.50 percent of all beneficiaries.

Youth aged 18 to 30 years account for 1,086,998 beneficiaries, or 30.44 percent, while people aged above 60 number 538,024, equivalent to 15.07 percent.

Women constitute the majority of beneficiaries, with 1,924,188 women, representing 53.88 percent, compared with 1,646,920 men, or 46.12 percent.

The Financial Inclusion Pillar has also recorded 222,389 enterprise groups, of which 183,430 have been profiled on the PDM Information System.

Government is increasingly relying on digital platforms to improve the management and monitoring of PDM funds.

The Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) is used to transfer funds to PDM SACCO accounts, while the PDM Information System is used to register eligible beneficiaries.

Loan disbursement is supported by Wendi, managed by Pearl Bank, which sends funds directly to beneficiaries through their mobile phones. The Zaidi platform provides real-time tracking and verification.

Government has also recruited 14,133 Wendi agents and distributed 27,100 tablets to support beneficiary registration and programme monitoring.

The use of digital systems comes as Government continues to emphasise better tracking of beneficiaries and the movement of PDM funds. Earlier government statements have similarly highlighted the importance of documenting beneficiaries and monitoring the revolving nature of the funds.

The latest Financial Inclusion Pillar figures show that beneficiaries have invested significant amounts of PDM financing in selected agricultural enterprises.

As of June 2026, beneficiaries had invested: Shs425.27 billion in poultry; Shs461.12 billion in piggery; and Shs453.52 billion in coffee.

The figures indicate the importance of agriculture and related value chains to the implementation of PDM at household level.

The programme's stated objective is to help households engaged mainly in subsistence activities develop enterprises capable of generating income and participating in the wider money economy.

Minister of Local Government Barugahara Balaam called for stronger accountability in the implementation of PDM and warned against extortion, illegal charges, favouritism, political interference, fraud and diversion of programme funds.

He urged local government officials to take greater ownership of the programme and measure its success through indicators such as increased production, savings, value addition, market access, enterprise growth and household incomes.

Minister of State for Gender and Culture Mary Kamuli Kuteesa also called for beneficiaries to receive adequate preparation and training before funds are disbursed.

She emphasised stronger follow-up after training and greater involvement of political leaders in monitoring the programme.

Minister of State for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama said Government has registered 645 premises involved in handling agricultural chemicals and seeds as part of efforts to curb counterfeit agricultural inputs.

He also reported that Government has procured and distributed 50.6 million doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines and established solar-powered cold-chain facilities in 53 districts.

The measures are intended to support agricultural production, which remains central to many of the enterprises financed through PDM.

Minister of State for National Guidance Alion Yorke Odria called for stronger public awareness campaigns on PDM, particularly on loan repayment, programme developments and policy changes.

He proposed using Government agencies and regional radio platforms to improve communication with beneficiaries and communities.

PDM National Coordinator Dennis Galabuzi said the programme is moving towards a more coordinated, whole-of-government approach built around value chains.

The approach covers areas including agricultural inputs, production, storage, electricity, processing, value addition and access to markets.

The latest figures come as Government continues to expand PDM financing. In November 2025, the Ministry of Finance announced an additional Shs529 billion for PDM SACCOs, taking cumulative transfers to the parishes to more than Shs3.2 trillion at that point.

By March 2026, reporting based on statements from the Finance Ministry indicated that PDM disbursements had reached about Shs3.63 trillion, with Government projecting investment of more than Shs4 trillion by the end of the financial year.

With the programme now reaching more than 3.5 million beneficiaries, attention is increasingly focused on whether financed enterprises can generate sustainable incomes, repayments can replenish the revolving funds, and stronger monitoring can ensure resources reach their intended beneficiaries.