Maize, AIP mess draws Parliament’s attention
Parliament Secretariat has set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate alleged dubious deals in the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) and status of maize at Agricultural Development Corporation of Malawi (Admarc) and National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
The joint committee’s co-chairperson Sameer Suleman said in an interview yesterday they have been given two weeks to carry out the inquiries.
He said letters summoning institutions involved will be dispatched this week and that the inquiries will be held next week.
Suleman said the committee will be interested to know the status of this year’s AIP.
He said: “We have to know everything surrounding the AIP progress of AIP, including expenditures and what has the money been spent on.”
Suleman said the joint committee will also investigate how maize is being managed at State agencies, Admarc and NFRA.
He said they received reports that maize from Admarc depots destined for NFRA in Lilongwe was being diverted to border districts where the maize is suspected to be externalised.
On whether the inquiries will not be affected by President Lazarus Chakwera’s statement on AIP and other issues of national interest set for this evening, Suleman said the committee will be digging deeper into the issues and report on issues of abuse.
Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara on Thursday announced formation of the joint committee comprising members from Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Irrigation, Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament, Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and Statutory Corporations Committee to investigate AIP following reports that the country had been duped K750 million in a deal that government entered with a United Kingdom-based company.
Suleman, who is chairperson of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee of Parliament, is co-chairing the joint committee with Budget and Finance Committee chairperson Gladys Ganda.
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) chairperson Shadreck Namalomba, whose committee wanted to investigate the matter, said he is among members of the joint committee and is ready to grill those that will be summoned.
In April this year, the President had warned that he would fire Lowe and others if they fail to deliver on AIP by September.
Two months before the end of the year, the country has not rolled out this year’s AIP.
Our sister newspaper, Weekend Nation, on October 22 2022 reported that 14 trucks carrying maize for NFRA silos have not made deliveries and are yet to be traced weeks after starting off.
