By Chris Mugasha
BUSHENYI; The State Minister for Cooperatives Tom Aza Alero has challenged leaders and top managers of SACCOs to double their innovativeness and ‘think’ beyond providing credit/loans to members.
Alero wants SACCOs to transition from their ‘current monotonous services’ of providing loans to members and move to the next levels of empowering the members by introducing new ideas especially empowering them (members) in value addition.
“You cannot remain only on one product. We cannot remain a nation that produces only raw materials,” Alero challenged adding that, “don’t remain static but evolve and continue developing.”
The Minister was on Thursday meeting leaders of Butuuro SACCO at the SACCO’s Board room during his visit to the SACCO.
He said a district like Bushenyi produces a number of things like milk, tea, coffee among others which require value addition.
“Graduate from providing loans and help people to produce together, harvest together, bulk together, market together and sale together,” Alero encouraged the leaders of SACCOs.
“Our people will be able to control the price and get saved from the middle men if you help and empower them to work collectively and in the process you will be creating market and jobs for your children,” he advised.
“Let loans go to productive areas like purchasing hullers but not just consumption and buying gomesis,” Alero challenged. He appealed to SACCOs sensitize and educate members.
The minister assured SACCOs that government is ready and committed to support and fund whoever develops solid development proposals.
On regulation and tax holidays, Alero told the SACCO leaders to be patient and wait for resolutions which will come out of engagements that government is engaged in with various stakeholders in the Cooperatives industry.
The Minister commended Butuuro SACCO for growing fast and steadily. This was after the Butuuro Board of Directors Chairman Jenan Mubehamwe presented how the SACCO started in 2007 with just Sh1million as capital but has so far mobilized over 23000 members, accumulated total assets worth Shs37.2Billion, a loan portfolio of Shs26.4Billion, a share capital of Shs6.6billion and total savings worth Shs11.1Billion. The Registrar of Cooperatives Bob Barigye described Butuuro as a unique SACCO of its own way in the country.
Barigye advised SACCOs to stick to policies and also comply with government’s requirements and standards if they don’t want to be inconvenienced. End.
