Geita DC grants 689m/- for special groups loans

GEITA: GEITA District Council has provided a total of 689m/- in interest-free loans to 39 special groups, including women, youths and people living with disabilities (PLWDs), since the national resumption of the loan programme.

The Geita DC Head of the Community Development Department, Mr Jonas Kilave, said among the recipients, 23 women’s groups received 351m/-, 14 youth groups were allocated 239m/- and two groups of people with disabilities received 45m/-.

“Eight groups did not meet the required criteria due to various reasons, including absence of banking details and registration systems. They have been instructed to correct their details,” said Mr Kilave, recently during the handover ceremony held in Nzera Ward.

The loan issued is equivalent to 82 per cent out of the 47 groups who applied for the free interests’ loans through Geita District Council.

The groups that have been granted loans have already undergone training conducted by business, agriculture and livestock experts, who visited their projects.

“Additionally, group members have been trained in record keeping, financial management, financial savings and conflict resolution,” Mr Kilave said.

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Additionally, he said that so far about 1.2bn/- has been allocated for the second phase of loan distribution from January to March.

The council has already received online applications from 58 groups. The deadline was slated for Monday, this week.

The Geita District Council Executive Director, Mr Karia Rajabu, said that a special plan has been set for experts to regularly visit the groups and provide guidance on proper management.

“During our visit, we will assess how they generate income and track their expenses. This will help them grow and the experts will be able to provide more effective guidance,” Mr Rajabu said.

The Chairman of the Council, Mr Charles Kazungu, assured that the District Council will continue to allocate funds for small-scale entrepreneurs in each annual budget.

“I urge you to use these funds for their intended purposes. We have observed cases where some groups, after receiving the money, make conflicting decisions,” Mr Kazungu said.

Geita District Administrative Secretary, Ms Lucy Beda, told beneficiaries that disputes have been a major obstacle on repaying the loans.

“Transparency is key. Everyone should be informed about the group’s activities. This will help us stay united and move forward in the right direction,” Ms Beda said.