By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE Government says it has saved K1 billion by getting rid of 600,000 ‘ghost’ farmers under the e-Voucher system.
Finance Minister Felix Mutati said the ghost farmers and duplication of the e-Voucher beneficiaries were identified following a new framework the Government had put in place.
Mr Mutati said this in Parliament yesterday when he unveiled the K71.6 billion worth 2018 National Budget themed ‘Accelerating fiscal fitness for sustained inclusive growth, without leaving anyone behind’.
“Sir, to maintain the diversification drive, Government during the 2017/2018 farming season will fully migrate to the e-Voucher system to cover one million beneficiaries. Government has further put in place a new framework to eliminate ghost farmers and the duplication of beneficiaries.
“As a result of the clean-up, a total of 600,000 undeserving beneficiaries were removed, resulting in a saving of K1.0 billion,” he said.
Mr Mutati also said that the Government had so far constructed 10 artificial insemination centres from the total 18 he had announced in the 2017 Budget and that the remaining centres were at various stages of development.
Mr Mutati said work on the 200 dip tanks would continue and construction of four regional laboratories would be completed by the end of 2018 as a measure to prevent diseases.
Mr Mutati said the Government would continue implementing the US$50 million Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development Project in 2018, which was aimed at building institutional capacity for fish, fingerling and feed production, among others.
He said the Government would in 2018 promote cage fish farming on lakes Mweru, Kariba, Tanganyika, Bangweulu and on Kafue River.
Mr Mutati also said the Government was currently undertaking a comprehensive livestock and aquaculture census which would be finalised in 2018 and that the results of the census would guide policy formulation to facilitate growth and development.