Summary:
- The Youth Livelihood Fund, launched in 2018 as a nationwide initiative to eradicate poverty among the youth through revolving funds, has seen limited repayment success in Kisoro Municipality. Out of the UGX 427 million disbursed to 52 groups, only UGX 104 million has been recovered.
KISORO: The Kisoro Municipality Youth Livelihood Program (YLP) is struggling with unpaid debts amounting to over UGX 323 million, which municipal authorities say has hindered its success.
The Youth Livelihood Fund, launched in 2018 as a nationwide initiative to eradicate poverty among the youth through revolving funds, has seen limited repayment success in Kisoro Municipality. Out of the UGX 427 million disbursed to 52 groups, only UGX 104 million has been recovered.
According to Iragaba Julius, the Senior Community Development Officer for Kisoro Municipality, the municipality currently has UGX 13 million available for reinvestment into the program. Of this, UGX 8 million recovered from Southern Division will be redistributed to youth groups within the same division, while UGX 3 million recovered from Northern Division will be reinvested there.
However, Central Division will not benefit from the program due to delays in repayment, as they have only managed to repay UGX 1 million.
CUE IN JULIUS……ON DIVISIONS…….RR//
Julius, who also serves as the focal person for the Youth Livelihood Program, emphasized the need for collaboration among political leaders, technocrats, and parents to encourage timely repayment of funds. He noted that arrears exceeding three years attract a 5% surcharge increment, further complicating repayment efforts.
CUE IN IRAGABA…….ON SURCHARGE…….RR//
Meanwhile, Kisoro Municipality Town Clerk Kisubi Ayubu expressed concern over the high levels of unpaid arrears among the youth groups, which he said have negatively impacted the program’s sustainability. He called for stakeholder engagement to ensure the funds are repaid and the program continues to benefit the youth.
CUE IN KISUBI……ON YLP……LUG//
