The Government has suspended the implementation of the e-voucher system that was supposed to be used for small-scale farmers in accessing subsidised inputs under the Farmer Inputs Support Programme (FISP) due to inadequate logistics.
Government also said it has been overstretched because of other pressing needs but assured that every farmer would be paid by the end of this month.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Bob Sichinga was at pains to explain the prolonged delay by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in paying farmers that had delivered their maize in the crop marketing season.This was during the launch of the ZNFU Lima scheme in Kabwe on Wedensday.
This followed ZNFU president Jervis Zimba and Chisamba District Commissioner Ferdinand Chipindi’s queries on when the farmers would be paid for their maize to enable them buy inputs for the 2013/14 farming season.
Mr Sichinga noted that the government had been overstretched because other pressing needs but assured that every farmer would be paid by the end of this month.
[pullquote]it was not possible to implement the e-voucher system because even the ministry did not even have computers[/pullquote]
In March this year Government said it would introduce the E voucher system to enable 241,000 small scale farmers access farming inputs.The Zambia National Farmers union welcomed this move as it would save government resources by eliminating procurement, transportation and other administrative costs associated with FISP administration
In September Agriculture and Livestock Minister Bob Sichinga also told Parliament that the ministry had advertised for the development of the E-Voucher system and the contract would be signed before the end of October, and the process would be completed in December.
However the Agriculture and Livestock Minister has now announced that the e-voucher,electronic system which was set to be piloted in 10 districts this year, needed proper preparations by the government and private
suppliers before being implemented.The government had announced last year that it would use the electronic system for distribution of part of the subsidised inputs under the FISP as a pilot programme to replace the current scheme which benefits 900,000 small scale farmers.
About 241,000 out of the 900,000 under the FISP were expected to be covered by the electronic system before rolling out the programme to the whole country.
The e-voucher system requires that private agro business houses have electronic register of the 241,000 farmers as well as electronic voucher while farmers needed to have either a phone or a computer.
It also required that at the Ministry of Agriculture created a redemption fund which would be recovered by the private suppliers once the farmers acquired the inputs in their respective districts.
“I have a computer background and when I looked at what had been prepared, I was not satisfied that we had a register of the 241,000 famers. I was not satisfied that each of the targeted district had telephone communication to send messages.
“I was also not satisfied that there was sufficient capacity to reach all the 241,000 farmers and because of this, it was not possible to implement the e-voucher system because even the ministry did not even have computers,” Mr Sichinga said.
Mr Sichinga said apart from the necessary logistics the electronic system would have required that all stakeholders involved including the private suppliers be trained on how to handle the programme.
He however assured that his Ministry was keen to implement the electronic system once all the necessary logistics and training had been done.
The thing is there are big time corrupt politicians who are beneficiaries in the ordinary system (Kickback, transpportation contracts etc), GRZ was reluctant. Otherwise e-voucher should have been used in Govt people – politicians and civil servants were not benefiting from the system
I agree with minister. The e voucher needs proper preparation otherwise it can prove to be a disaster.
Yeah right – you have a computer background but your revelations here show it ends there. You lack some IT and IS background. How can you state the obvious Mr Minister? I suppose your pilot project did not factor in planning from what I can read right here!
Exactly my sentiments. I saw extravangance in the implementation of the E-Voucher system. It was too abrupt bane. My boss who is a very intelligent man blindly supported this move and when I challenged that the timing was wrong he thought I was just opposing PF decisions (What tribe can do guys!!!! its killing Zambia). My thinking was that the E-voucher system needed strategy, it needs a lot of time to consult, to design it and to test it. If I may ask the ministry how much money was spent to bring the process this far I would be called all sort of names. Now believe me that if ever this issue will be brought back again, the process will start from scratch yet people have been wasting funds and resources let alone suspension
suspension(s)….?
over a project that has been suspended?
quiet strange.
yaba, here we go again.
proper confusion here.
So Sichinga with a computer background did not know that his ministry had no computers…hahaha.
We know that you are over stretched, you have 2 deputy ministers in your ministry. With all that human resource you still cant complete a projects or even spot the challenges.
So these guys really do believe in the “90 days” strategy. “Lie today elyo fikaisolva kuntanshi”
Blatant lies from Bob: He said “in Sept they advertise for the developers and that by end of Oct sign Contract. Then the e-system to be operational by Dec” Then he contradicts himself by saying ““I have a computer background and when I looked at what had been prepared, I was not satisfied”. Question is “When was what he looked at prepared since Oct has not even ended?” Was he speaking just to impress?
And if he is as computer savvy as he claims, is he sincere to say that a nationwide e-system of that magnitude can be in two months (End of Oct to Dec)?.
Clear Bufi
My bigman is very academic on many issues. certain things cant just work, atleast for now. you need a lot to make them. if they worked in SA or kenya, Zambia is different ground all together
Bob, just because you can write an email this isn’t the same as having a computer background. PF has been “promising” to move forward with e-vouchers since 2011, how long can it take?
Nyandule zikonda kusobelela ku unga.
2016 baende!
Maybe he meant desktop/screen background lol. But this man is one of the big lier in PF.
Bufi,Bufi,Bufi,my country men when will this government ever say thing correct and tell the trueth.
Is it the philosopy of bembas not to be telling the truth.
Remember Guy scott was the Agriculture Minister when the country imported yellow maize and Sata was the secretary General.What else do you expect from these recycled Politians
I thought he said it would be suspended till 2014. What’s the problem? If its not ready its not ready. We have to improve computerization throughout Government.
What’s the problem? The problem is they said they were going to do this even in 2012 and have had plenty of time to plan and prepare.
Sure, if they’re not ready, they’re not ready…… but are you really satisfied with mediocrity and think it’s “just OK” to put things off over and over because we have to improve? What has this government been doing the past two years……. not improving?