CSPR urges audits on agric extension workers

THE Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) in Eastern Province says performance audits on agriculture extension service workers in the province is going to reveal information on how government resources are being used during their service.

In a statement, CSPR provincial coordinator, Maxson Nkhoma, said his office was informed of a situation where some agriculture extension officers were lazing around to sabotage government efforts while other were labouring to see to it that government programmes would reach a success.

“In as much as CSPR is aware that some field extension officers have not been performing well, others have deliberately chosen to frustrate government efforts in distributing farming inputs through e-voucher. It would be wrong to cast a blame on extension service workers for the failed implementation of the e-voucher programme,” Mr Nkhoma said on Monday.

He attributed much of the failure of e-voucher to the government, saying the biggest challenge of the programme was influenced by central government’s continued delay in transferring funds into the accounts of respective farmers.

Mr Nkhoma explained that, “Witnessed by 88, 100 farmers who have not received their farming inputs up to date, the government has not deposited money into farmers’ accounts.”

CSPR hopes that such performance audits would be extended to all government line ministries to help decision makers in making informed decisions on improving quality of service delivery, Mr. Nkhoma said.

CSPR however hope to pub- lishing of the final report as they are convinced that it would be also help stakeholders in the agriculture sectors in the implementation of reforms in the sector across the country.

The call for a robust performance audit was instituted as a directive by provincial permanent secretary for Eastern Province Chanda Kasolo when he tasked provincial administration to compile a report to the effect

The report is expected to be complied within 14 days.