Maravi

Dr Mulopa bemoans political interference in FSP implementation.

Dr Mulopa bemoans political interference in FSP implementation.
By Mwila Chansa in Kabompo
Monday April 07, 2008 [04:00]

KABOMPO District Agriculture Coordinator Dr Victor Mulopa has said political interference has made it difficult to effectively implement the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme in the area. Dr Mulopa said it was difficult to make recoveries from beneficiaries of the FSP programme as most of them took it as a government grant where they were not supposed to pay anything. He was speaking at his office last Thursday when members of the FSP national technical committee paid a courtesy call on him.

"The recovery rate has been very low due to non-payment by beneficiaries and sometimes because of political interference in the management of the programme," Dr Mulopa explained. He also said inadequate funding had also made it difficult to monitor field programmes.

Dr Mulopa also called for improved distribution of wetland inputs as late distribution led to loss of yields because of cob rot diseases.

He, however, said the programme had greatly improved the total household food security among the rural communities of the district.

And Programme Against Malnutrition (PAM) coordinator for North Western Province, Francis Mwansa said there was need for more sensitisation to beneficiaries as far as paying back was concerned.

Mwansa said some beneficiaries considered FSP a government grant and in some cases thought it was their area member of parliament that was responsible for the distribution of those inputs from which they benefited.

Ministry of Community Development chief planner Gregory Mwanza said it was important to work on attitudes against defaulting.

Mwanza said it was meaningless for a farmer to have a good harvest and fail to pay back because recoveries made from pay backs were meant for more people to benefit from the programme.

Labels: FSP, VICTOR MULOPA

posted by MrK @ 4:26 AM