The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has been directed by Parliament to provide compensation to farmers who suffered losses as a result of the avian influenza or Bird Flu outbreak between 2015 and 2018.
According to the 2022 Auditor General’s Report, a substantial amount of the allocated compensation funds, exceeding GH¢1.8 million, remains unutilized in the Ministry’s account.
In response to this revelation, the Ministry of Agriculture has stated that the funds have not been distributed due to the fact that affected farmers have not communicated the necessary details to the Ministry.
However, during a recent session of the Public Accounts Committee, the committee’s chairman, James Klutse Avedzi, instructed the Agriculture Ministry to take immediate action to locate the affected farmers and disburse the funds within the next month.
Avedzi emphasized the importance of expeditiously resolving this issue by stating, “I am sure you have a list of the farms that are affected and a certificate for destroying the birds as well. All that you need is to have the affected farmers’ bank details to do the transfer and I am sure that you have the contact details of these farmers. So we are giving you one month to disburse the monies to them quickly. Call them so that they will give their bank details so you can do the transfer for them.”
This directive serves as a clear indication of the government’s commitment to ensuring that affected farmers receive the compensation they are entitled to in a timely manner. It is imperative that the Ministry of Agriculture takes immediate steps to comply with this directive and expedite the disbursement of funds to the affected farmers. Failure to do so would not only prolong the financial burden on these farmers but also reflect poorly on the Ministry’s ability to effectively manage and allocate compensation funds in a timely manner.
source | citinewsroom| curated by Monica Bellew | Mydailyreports24
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