Fri, 27 Jan 2017 09:48:26 +0000 By Buumba Chimbulu ABOUT K1.04 billion is required for the Electronic Voucher (E-Voucher) system for the 2016/2017 farming season and the Ministry of Agriculture has only accessed K620 million, contributing to the delays in the issuing of electronic VISA cards, says ministry’s permanent secretary Julius Shawa. Mr Shawa explained that some farmers in the 39 districts where the system was being piloted had challenges accessing inputs because their cards had not yet been activated. He was speaking when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Budgetary implications of fuel and electricity subsidies chaired by Mbala Member of Parliament Mwalimu Simfukwe. He said the ministry hoped that the Ministry of Finance could release the remaining K400 million to enable the cards to be loaded so the farmers could access their inputs. “We still have a balance of K400 million. I have been pleading with my colleagues at the Ministry […]
