The Second phase of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF2) is six months behind schedule.
In November 2009, government declared the start of NUSAF2, which succeeded NUSAF but the institutional arrangement to kick start the five-year project is just getting underway.
Stephen Ariku, NUSAF2's Procurement Specialist, attributes the delay in kick starting the program to delays by the World Bank to release funds.
NUSAF2 is a Government of Uganda project financed by the World Bank to the tune of 200 billion shillings with an additional financing of 50 billion funds by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).
The project is intended to improve access household incomes and socio-economic services.
Ariku says teams have been dispatched to the 40 beneficiary districts in eastern and northern Uganda to begin training key stakeholders and the beneficiaries on the project.
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Ariku says with funding now available, the project is expected to run smoothly. He says that that the first beneficiary-generated sub-projects are expected to start trickling in by June next month.
On concerns about corruption that dogged implementation of NUSAF1, Ariku says the Inspectorate of Government is being involved throughout the project to play a graft preventive role and ensure success of the project.
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Ariku says he believes NUSAF2 will be more transparent than NUSAF1 because of the safeguard measures put in place.
