Gender Diverts Fund For Varsity Leavers

HALF of the sh1.3b released by the Ministry of Finance for the university leaver's loan scheme has been diverted by officials in the gender, labour and social development ministry to pay for allowances and other administrative costs.Felix Osike writes that the Inspector General of Government's report released yesterday states that of the sh1.3b released for the scheme, only sh735m has been disbursed to 1,617 youths in various districts. Another sh84m was still lying idle on the account by the time he wrote the report.The IGG’s investigation followed complaints by President Yoweri Museveni during the July 4, 2000 National Youth day in Jinja that the officials concerned had only accounted for sh280m.The report says sh533, 950,738 was spent on various activities of the project which included, allowances, property costs, training of youth, purchase of vehicles, local salaries and wages, vehicle operation and maintenance, consumables, utilities and other goods and services.The Youth Enterpreneurship Scheme is a government undertaking aimed at fighting unemployment and poverty among graduate school leavers. The youth are given start-up capital, which is meant to revolve among graduates starting life after school.The money is supposed to be paid back with 16% interest.Ends