The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has described as false claims of missing fertilizer worth $12 million under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
According to the ministry, the claims are factually inaccurate and do not represent the true information presented to Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture by the Sector Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, during a budget hearing earlier Thursday.
The about 50,000 metric tonnes of the subsidized fertilizer meant to be used under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme was lost to smuggling to neighboring countries; Burkina Faso and Togo.
The Ranking member of the committee, Eric Opoku, alleged that some government appointees are responsible for the loss.
But in a statement, the Ministry said: “The impression being created that the amount of $12m dollars said to be losses incurred as a result of smuggling of fertilizers under the flagship Planting for food and jobs programme is totally false.”
“What the Minister said during the budget hearing was that over the years the country had not been able to quantify in monetary terms the actual losses being incurred as a result of fertilizers being smuggled outside Ghana to neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Togo.
“The Minister then went ahead to explain that under the current administration, efforts had been made to quantify the cost which amounted to about $12m dollars, which translates into about 50,000 metric tonnes.
“It is therefore factually inaccurate, the impression being created through the publications that the said amount covers a specific year under review or strictly limited to the PFJ programme,” stressed the statement.
Below is the full statement
RE: $12m WORTH OF PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS FERTILIZER MISSING
The attention of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has been drawn to an online publication under the above headline and attributed to a report from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
According to our information, a Ranking Member of the Committee, Hon. Eric Opoku, was also subsequently reported to have made the claims on the floor of the house.
The Ministry wishes to place on record that the report is factually inaccurate and does not represent the true information presented to the Committee by the Sector Minister, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, during a budget hearing earlier the day.
The impression being created that the amount of $12m dollars said to be losses incurred as a result of smuggling of fertilizers under the flagship Planting for food and jobs programme is totally false.
What the Minister said during the budget hearing was that over the years the country had not been able to quantify in monetary terms the actual losses being incurred as a result of fertilizers being smuggled outside Ghana to neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Togo.
The Minister then went ahead to explain that under the current administration, efforts had been made to quantify the cost which amounted to about $12m dollars, which translates into about 50,000 metric tonnes.
It is therefore factually inaccurate, the impression being created through the publications that the said amount covers a specific year under review or strictly limited to the PFJ programme.
It is instructive to note that under the current administration, stringent efforts have been made to curtail the unfortunate incidents which had become the norm in previous years.
Through vigilance and comprehensive monitoring, several arrests have been made and investigations are currently ongoing.
References can be made of some staffs of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly who are under investigation for the disappearance of several bags of subsidized fertilizers which had been stored at a warehouse in Sunyani.
Additionally, an NDC Chairman for Sissala East was recently arrested for engaging in similar offence. The case is currently before the National Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Ghana Police Service.
Also, in the middle of this year, about 50 trucks of fully loaded fertilizers, which were allegedly being smuggled to neighbouring Burkina Faso, were also impounded in the Upper West Region.
The Ministry therefore wishes to reiterate that all efforts are being made to nip the vicious activities of these fertilizer smuggling cartels in the bud.
We therefore appeal to the general public to cooperate with us by reporting any act of suspicion for the necessary action to be taken.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
