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Command Agric critics ‘barking dogs’: Chinamasa

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FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa yesterday told Parliament that government provided security guarantees and undertook to pay an “inclusive 5% interest” before private energy firm, Sakunda Holdings, committed itself to the Command Agriculture programme.

FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa yesterday told Parliament that government provided security guarantees and undertook to pay an “inclusive 5% interest” before private energy firm, Sakunda Holdings, committed itself to the Command Agriculture programme.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa

Chinamasa was responding to legislators who demanded clarity on how the energy company was roped into the programme, with some Members of Parliament asking if the deal had gone through the tender system.

“In the 2017/18 agricultural season, a total of 1,8 million households will be supported under the programme with one bag of Compound D fertiliser, one bag of AN fertiliser, and 10kg seed,” he said, describing some top government officials who were critical of the programme as “barking dogs”.

“The discontent might be there, but it has nothing to do with this programme because it has succeeded. Those are just barking dogs.

“I will not respond to what people say on Twitter, but after commercial banks failed to lend to farmers and there was low productivity, we, as government, came up with a policy to lend to farmers and put in place mechanisms for farmers to repay the loans.

“The structure is that Sakunda provided inputs upfront to be paid in a year after people harvest, and because Sakunda provided the funding, it requires to be paid an interest and security, and so we have provided that security and we pay an inclusive 5% interest.”

Chinamasa said following the success of the past season, he had observed commercial banks coming on board and Sakunda mobilising support from commercial banks.

Asked if Sakunda was subjected to tender processes, Chinamasa said: “If there is anyone with finances to pay for tonnes of inputs right now, and they charge less than 5% interest, they must come and support us.”

Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Reuben Marumahoko then ordered Chinamasa to bring a ministerial statement before the House explaining the programme in detail.

In an unrelated matter, Chinamasa admitted that government was failing to contain its expenditure.

“The challenge we have is to contain expenditure, and a lot of that expenditure is necessary, and, of course, we have to live within our means. Some of the government expenditure was inherited through our new Constitution,” he said.