Body wants FISP linked to Public Works, School feeding programmes

A relatively new Non-Governmental Organization on the block has come up with various ‘radical’ suggestions that it argues will be necessary to turn the country’s socio-economic development around.

Link for Citizen Empowerment and Development, commonly known as The Link, feels the economic situation currently facing the country can be overturned if appropriate measures were taken “as a matter of urgency” to improve various social support programmes.

Topping the list of such programmes is the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) which continues to be under-fire from various stakeholders over what is widely believed to be inefficiencies in the same.

But instead of calling for its complete scrapping off, The Link believes the programme remains key in re-building the country’s ailing economy.

And the organization has since called for the programme, which is heavily donor-funded; to be linked to some national social support programmes to achieve varied success.

In an exclusive interview on Sunday with The Nation, Mwanza argued the programme is a waste based on the measure of impact by various studies, the conduct of beneficiaries as some sell the inputs and the methodology used in coming up with the country’s annual  crop estimates which he argued does not single out FISP as the contributing factor; among others.

“Basically, we all agree that FISP, in its current state, is not bearing the desired fruits. Actually, it continues to cost the country of its hard earned revenue,” Executive Director Jephter Mwanza said.

“The programme needs some radical changes as it currently looks more of a social programme than an empowerment one. To begin with, why allocating funds for FISP and at the same time provide humanitarian food to the same beneficiaries at the end? We are no better now than we were in 2005 when we first started.”

He added that the numbers [of beneficiaries] is more or less constant; only reduced down to about 900, 000 this year and by default due to public finance constraints.

The Link also wants a change in focus as regards FISP beneficiaries; arguing the youth are better placed to help boost productivity unlike the ‘vulnerable’ currently earmarked for the same. They include the aged, the orphaned and the sick.

And on linking FISP to other national social support programmes, Mwanza said his organization is currently drafting a report on its findings from where they have drawn their recommendations on the same.

Mwanza explained, “We have in mind the Public Works Programme and the School Feeding Programme where we feel they are not sustainable and their impact is usually understated.”

“While the two can help boost the national economy,” he argued, “they can also boost quality service delivery in the health and education sectors; areas that usually lack. Think of the two if they are linked to food; where organized communities can be contributing to attainment of quality education in our schools and also ensuring they remain food and nutrition secure throughout the year.

The body also claims their findings prove a larger percentage of expenses in public tertiary education institutions cater for meals; a move he said can be easily solved if the same allocation for FISP incorporates the private sector such as farmers’ cooperatives that will in turn be tasked to feed the institutions; thereby subsidizing the cost of education in public universities.

The sentiments from Link for Citizen Empowerment and Development come barely days after the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development admitted to have missed the deadline for delivery of coupons to redeem inputs under the FISP citing a change in printer agents.

Government expects beneficiaries in the same to start accessing the coupons from November 21, almost three weeks after the first rains.

According to FISP deputy national coordinator Osborne Tsoka, the delay was a necessary evil. “We wanted to enhance the security features which will be tested before redeeming the inputs from the private companies we have engaged…We are hopeful that chances of fake coupons will be somewhat minimized.”He told the press last week.

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