Farm Input Subsidy Programme benefiting ordinary Malawians – Jooma
Member of Parliament for Mangochi Monkey Bay Constituency, Ralph Jooma said it is wrong for some quarters to think that Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) is not having impact to lives of many Malawians in the country.
He made the remarks Thursday in Lilongwe during the presentation of Oxfam Budget Analysis dinner for the Budget committee of Parliament at Sunbird Lilongwe Hotel.
Jooma noted that the findings by Oxfam Consultant have failed to address the alternative solutions on how to improve the implementation of FISP but instead has concentrated on the negatives.
He added that the report has indicated that government has increased the budgetary allocation to FISP as sign the programme is having an impact to the country’s food security initiatives.
The Parliamentarian challenged budgetary allocation for FISP is the only allocation that reaches all most all parts and constituencies of the country.
“So it very wrong and misleading for the consultant to suggest in his report that FISP is not helping in the Scio-economic development of the country,” Jooma viewed.
He said FISP is the only budgetary allocation which involve ordinary people in production and there by contributing to economic growth.
“As members of the committee, we want the consultant to enlighten us how FISP could be best improve and contribute significantly to the Growth Domestic Product of the country and reduces of issues of inequality among our people. Then we will be together and not suggesting that the programme should be removed,” he said.
Chairperson for Budget Committee, Rhino Chiphiko said he holds different views on the in implementation of FISP in the country.
He said the FISP need to be looked at and provide best practices to empower beneficiaries to aim at producing for both consumption and commercial use.
“We always wonder that for long the budget of the FISP caters largely for logistical arrangements and few resources are channelled to the beneficiaries that why many people are having dissenting views of its relevance in the current set up” Chiphiko observed.
The 2018-2019 budget allocation has increased the number of beneficiaries from 900,000 to 1.5 million and its allocations been increased.
The 2017-2018 implementation plan was described to be the best as beneficiaries receive their inputs by October 6, unlike in the past where they were getting them in December and January in some parts of the country.
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It did once, but now it no longer is. it is just a way of you politicians enriching yourselves. Jeffery confessed it all
Hon Mjooma you are right to challenge some of these findings. We should not believe everything because it is Oxfam saying it. Is it not the same organisation that has been hit by sex scandals recently. Fisp is benefiting ordinary citizens.