Op-Ed: PDM is an antidote to extreme inequality of wealth

By Ben Ssebuguzi 

Someone on a legendary WhatsApp forum dubbed Buyinza Group posted falsifying information that PDM was started to trap public servants. Another propagandist said that it was started as a political reward. This has moved me from my comfort zone to debunk those lies because they can compromise the attitude of beneficiaries. 

First and foremost, achieving change requires policy and program. That’s why President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni started PDM as a decentralised local approach to reduce poverty and bring the 39% excluded into the money economy. 

According to the United Nations, the richest 20% in the world accounted for about 70% of total income in 1960. In 2000, that figure reached 85 percent. So the PDM helps our government by reducing extreme inequality of wealth reinforcing the view that the poor cannot participate in the global market economy.

Just like the ONC self-empowerment program which empowers the poor, PDM caters for the local downtrodden people who are categorised as Tier 4 People who don’t have legal Assets like land titles to access affordable credit but have the passion to overcome poverty by extending to them reliable capital stimulus at prime rates way below market price.

These Tier 4 live in urban slums, and rural villages, Some of them have little education or no formal education among others. That’s why the government has many other programs like Emyooga, Vocation and Skilling that are doing wonders to complement PDM and leverage our population. 

Our President is a senior economist who underscores the benefits of the increase in wealth creation per household to create more demand for goods and services which scales up economic growth and GDP.

Low-income markets like Uganda present a prodigious opportunity for the world’s wealthiest to seek their fortunes and bring prosperity to the poor people through establishing industries and creating more jobs. That’s why our President wants an increase in our per capita income and creates millions of middle class. 

The prospect of millions of middle-class consumers in developing countries clamouring for products can attract Multinational accompanies (MNCs). For example, telecoms like MTN and Airtel came to Uganda after studies showed the prospect of our population and economic growth. 

In summary, the eagerness and hunger for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to emphasise wealth creation and social-economic transformation with holistic inclusive capital like PDM are not politically engineered but are intentional to create a massive market for global corporations which can come and establish a base here knowing that we have an economically empowered population to buy their goods and services. 

Among the top 200 Multinationals in the world, the overwhelming majority are based in developing countries which presents itself as an opportunity for Uganda. 

 So we should get more serious about government anti-poverty programs like PDM  which fight poverty because poverty can breed discontent and extremism like in Kenya where the Gen Z hijacked their economy which makes Multinationals rethink risk-reward.

Long live General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Long live Hajjat Hadijah Uzeiye Namyalo SPA PA and manager ONC 

The writer is the Head of Research at Office of the National Chairman – NRM (ONC)