DISTRIBUTION OF cocoa and coconut project application forms by politicians is described as non-procedural.
Officers within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) told the paper that during a recent senior extension staff conference, MAL allocated the responsibility only to Chief Field officers (CFO) from the provinces.
This was purposely to enable them to distribute to potential rural farmers identified after assessment.
A chief field officer, who wants to remain anonymous, said that CFOs are not aware of any arrangement in which certain MPs issue application forms.
He said that the agreed procedure for the CFOs to be the distributing agents is to avoid the issuances of the application forms to be politicised.
Meanwhile, MAL’s Director of Planning and Management, Noel Roposi, revealed that it is a common practice, in which MPs request project application forms through their colleague Minister for Agriculture.
However he points out that political interference can distort the normal agreed procedure of administering Agricultural projects.
“Politicians should not interfere with the process,” he said.
“Leave us to follow the right process of administering projects.”
On the other hand, Permanent Secretary of MAL, Jimi Saelea, retorts that there is nothing fishy with what the MPs are doing.
He said that what the MPs are doing is just a normal issue.
He points out that chief field officers are responsible for distribution and endorsement, and that projects will only be approved if they are endorsed by the officers.
“Even if MPs hold on to how many forms, the final endorsement will be done by the Chief Field Officers,” Saelea explained.
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