E-voucher hiccups are history  – Katambo

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:10:49 +0000

By ANNIE ZULU

AGRICULTURE Minister Michael Katambo says challenges faced by farmers regarding the e-voucher system will be a thing of the past.

Mr Katambo told the Daily Nation yesterday that Government was aware of the challenges the system had faced, which delayed some farmers from accessing their farming inputs.

Mr Katambo told the Daily Nation yesterday that Government was aware of the challenges the system had faced, which delayed some farmers from accessing their farming inputs.

He assured farmers that the e-voucher system would be improved in the next farming season.

“It is true that the e-voucher system has had some challenges of late, some farmers had received their farming inputs, while others have been delayed, but these are just mere teething problems that will be ironed out going forward,” Mr Katambo said.

He also said it was ridiculous for some politicians to use the challenges of the e-voucher to accuse Government of having failed Zambians.

He said the system was new and therefore should be given chance to be perfected.

He reiterated that the e-voucher system was here to stay, because it had sealed a lot of loopholes that existed in the old system.

“President Edgar Lungu has made it clear that the e-voucher is here to stay, so all those calling for another system are just wasting their time. We are experiencing challenges because the system is new and the challenges are being worked on.

“In fact the system is the best, because farmers now have more control of where and how they want to get their inputs without unscrupulous people taking advantage of them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Katambo has thanked President Lungu for appointing him as Minister of Agriculture.

“I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Lungu for the confidence he has placed in me to run a key ministry such as Agriculture.

“My predecessor has already began a commendable job in strengthening Government policy in the agriculture sector and mine is not to destroy what is already in place but to consolidate the work already begun,” Mr Katambo said.