Emyooga creates 314,548 jobs, sh261billion disbursed
“Cumulatively, the number of employment opportunities created under this program grew to 314,548 by December 2023. The parish-based association consisted of 1,858,762 active members,” Kasaija told Parliament.
Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija presenting the national budget at Kololo on Thursday. Photo by Miriam Namutebi
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
The Presidential Initiative on Job and Wealth Creation (Emyooga) has created a total of 314,548 jobs, the Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, has said.
“Cumulatively, the number of employment opportunities created under this program grew to 314,548 by December 2023. The parish-based association consisted of 1,858,762 active members,” Kasaija told Parliament on Thursday, June 13, 2024, during the national budget presentation at Kololo grounds.
He said in the current fiscal year (FY2023/24), the government continued to operationalize the Emyooga Programme for Small and Medium Enterprises in specialized trades.
The objective of the Emyooga program is to promote job creation and improve the household incomes of Ugandans. It targets 18 specialized enterprises/groups at the parish level, with each forming an apex SACCO at the constituency level with the Microfinance Support Centre is the lead implementing agency.
As of June 2023, the government had cumulatively disbursed seed capital worth sh261b and SACCOs had mobilized sh81.2b. 3,584 Emyooga SACCOs had conducted audits for the years 2021 and 2022 and had scheduled annual general meetings.
As of December 2023, 7,049 Emyooga SACCOs had been formed. There were 283,938 female active borrowers, 140,074 youth active borrowers and 29,081 PWD active borrowers.
A total of 366 Emyooga SACCOs had been submitted to the registrar of cooperatives for permanent registration assessment and of these, 189 certificates were issued by the registrar by the end of the FY2022/2023.
A total of 6,797 SACCO leaders were trained. Trainings covered cooperative governance, credit and delinquency management, resource mobilization, enterprise selection and mindset change.
At least four sub-regional forums had been formed as of June 2023 and their rationale is to form and constitute the national forum. Kigezi, Ankole, Lango and Bunyoro sub-regions have formed their forums.
91 Emyooga SACCOs invested in acquiring assets and projects such as taxis, boda bodas, sound systems, boats, wine processing equipment, outside catering, poultry farming and tree planting.