Sh10b for entandikwa, says Akello

Grace Akello, the state minister for entandikwa, has said the Government has disbursed about sh10b in entandikwa or a revolving fund, to help the grassroots alleviate poverty, reports Milton Olupot.She, however, lamented the low rate of repayment of the loans distributed through various micro-finance agencies. She said only 55% of the total sh9.9b given out is seen to be revolving.Akello, who is also the Katakwi district Woman MP, told a press conference at her Kampala Office on Tuesday that the rest of the money was stuck with defaulters. She said there was a wrong perception among the people that the money was a gift in return for political support. She also blamed the failure to pay back the money on the high consumption culture among Ugandans. “We are very poor in saving. We spend a lot of money on weddings and last funeral rites. I respect the dead but this is not the best way to spend.”