Thursday, March 28, 2024

K1.2 billion saved through e-voucher system-Msiska

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Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska
Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska

Secretary to the Cabinet, Rowland Msiska, says government saved K1. 2 billion through the e-voucher system during the 2017/2018 farming season.

Speaking at the ongoing Central Province Investment Forum and Expo on the sidelines of the public service reforms investment promotion, Mr Msiska said one of the reasons government has decided to go digital is to deal with corruption, in the farmer support programmes.

He said a good example is the e-voucher propelled 2017/2018 farming season where government saved K1. 2 billion because the system is capable of identifying both qualified and unqualified beneficiaries for the programme.

He observed that most people do not realise how effective Information Communication Technology (ICT’s) can be in curbing corrupt practices.

“You can see that because we are using the e-voucher, the system is compelled to identify members who would want to get inputs, but are not eligible. Inevitably using that system enables us to actually reduce corruption in that particular field,” he stated.

He however said the underlining factor for the smart nation is digitalizing of various services to achieve a reduced cost of doing business.

He further said it for this reason that President Edgar Lungu has set up the Smart Zambia Institute to signify the Smart Nation concept.

Mr Msiska also disclosed that government aims at literally covering the whole country with voice and data services.

He added that with the erection of the 1, 009 towers countrywide being put up countrywide, 95 percent have been completed, in the last three years.

“Essentially when you look at the concept of smart economy, smart commerce and smart banking services among others, the underlining theme is, ‘digitalization’, which is the simplification of processes,” Dr Msiska said.

Dr Msiska also said Zambia currently has one of the best visa online in the world where anyone anywhere on the globe can access the visa.

And Mr Msiska noted that government is upgrading the management of the human resource, in the way they are managed by the private sector.

He said one of the challenges realised in the past was that if an officer commits an office elsewhere, the case will be tried by the Public Service Management Division (PSMD).

The Central Province Investment Forum and Expo is being held under the theme, ‘Accelerating Investment for Inclusive and Sustainable Development’.

12 COMMENTS

  1. You are happy because it’s coming straight in your pocket by your salary increment back dated to January.

    Proper definition of daylight robbery.

    • This government you just never get the sense that truly there are savings all we here are delayed salaries in government institutions and some who haven’t been paid for months …missing social cash transfer money just reappearing apparently just idly sitting in some account. Awe sure I believe Dr. Msiska but when u are surrounded by this many crooks all genuine efforts become futile as you finance caders like Munir Zulu

    • Little whining boys playing tribal Mapatizya Formula. UNELECTABLE. They eat bitter herbs for breakfast, bitter herbs for lunch and bitter herbs for supper with a tribal sauce in it.

  2. The only reason you saved is because you didn’t have this K1.2billion to load into the farmers cards. So instead of saying we had a shortfall of K1.2billion for the FISP programme for the last farming season you are calling it a saving.

  3. Are u sure ur maths is correct, coz not long ago the farmers were complaining about the same e-voucher system saying that they didn’t have funds loaded,if true well done but knowing u guys everything is questionable, the lies and failures are just too much to bare, the corruption is on another level.

  4. Dr. Msiska, the 1.2bn saved was not because of the efficiency of the system but because there were many farmers who paid for inputs and did not receive these inputs, meaning all that was saved by the government. Let all those who did not get inputs get them this farming season. Rember these are poor people. Thank you

  5. Let’s get it straight Dr. Msiska, PF govt had no intentions whatsoever in introducing e-voucher system. The cooperating partners forced you. Zambia isn’t even the first country to have the e-voucher system.
    On a side note, e-voucher system is not free of corruption. As an example, there is alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders to participating banks. Also some agricultural extension officers are known to have conspired with agro dealers by exchanging inputs for money. The value of the money put by some farmers and govt wasn’t anywhere near the inputs they got. Most farmers only got 4 bags of fertilizer and one 10 kg of maize seed. Some only got two bags of fertilizer.
    We appreciate the it’s good system, but in no way has it helped fight corruption other than remove those…

    • We appreciate the it’s good system, but in no way has it helped fight corruption other than remove those people who could have been paid the K1.2 billion. By the way if you want to save money you could also introduce electronic voting, just a thought.

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