Minister misses President’s AIP deadline

If the situation on the ground is anything to go by, the Ministry of Agriculture has missed the September deadline President Lazarus Chakwera set to have everything set for Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).

The President set the deadline on April 11 this year at Kuyenda Ground in Ntcheu District during his nationwide crop inspection tour.

The tour exposed problems in the implementation of the AIP which, in some cases, left beneficiaries unable to access inputs notably fertiliser, due to logistical glitches that rocked the Tonse Alliance administration’s flagship campaign promise that quadrupled beneficiaries from 950 000 under its predecessor Farm Input Subsidy Programme.

The President said: “To the Minister of Agriculture [Lobin Lowe], I already told you that if we reach the month of September and you are not ready and everything is not in place, this will be your notice. We will have to replace you and your deputy.”

The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday said it would be making a statement on the progress of this year’s AIP “in a few days time”.

However, The Nation spot checks in September through interviews with traditional leaders and agricultural development divisions expressed worry that the remaining time and required activities did not match.

They said beneficiary registration was yet to be conducted.

To worsen matters, Ministry of Agriculture has chosen to keep under wraps the implementation status of the K109 billion programme funded by taxpayers, drawing the wrath of both the media and Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, among other stakeholders.

In an interview yesterday on the President’s deadline, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Grecian Lungu said the AIP processes were underway across the country.

However, he said it is up to the President to act on on the minister based on set parameters.

Said Lungu: “AIP processes are underway across Malawi and we will be making a statement to this effect in the few days coming.

“On firing [the minister], that can be handled by State House as appointment and firing of ministers remain presidential prerogatives and no one has jurisdictions on such matters other than the Head of State himself.”

In separate interviews yesterday, Both Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako, who is also the government spokesperson, and presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda refused to comment on whether the President will keep his word and sack the minister.

Kazako said: “Please speak to State House, the President’s press secretary, on this issue.”

On the other hand, Kasunda said: “I am still looking for answers.”

During its meetings in Lilongwe and Mzuzu last week, Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture accused the Ministry of Agriculture of letting down the nation on food security by keeping under wraps information related to the implementation status of this year’s AIP.