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| National |
| Committee summons Agriculture officials |
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by
Zainah Liwanda, 13 November 2006
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08:15:29
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The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee of Parliament has summoned officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to brief the committee Tuesday on how the fertiliser subsidy programme is being implemented, among other issues.
The committee’s chairperson Vitus Dzoole Mwale said in an interview Sunday the committee has summoned ministry officials and expects its minister, who is President Bingu wa Mutharika, to attend the meeting which he described as very crucial for the country.
But Secretary for Agriculture Patrick Kabambe said in a separate interview Sunday Mutharika was not invited and, therefore, will not attend the meeting.
Mutharika recently appointed himself Agriculture and Food Security Minister after firing Uladi Mussa.
Dzoole Mwale said his committee did not invite Mutharika because parliamentary standing orders bar it from summoning a President.
“We have summoned the Ministry of Agriculture officials to a stakeholders meeting and wish the President, who is minister responsible, could attend. We are in a fix. We did not write a personal invitation letter to the minister because standing orders of Parliament do not permit a committee of the House to summon the President,” he said.
Dzoole Mwale, however, said his committee has no problems with Mutharika as Head of State heading the ministry, saying it shows that the President is interested in agriculture, the country’s backbone.
Apart from seeking information on the subsidy programme and food security policies, Dzoole Mwale said his committee has also summoned stakeholders in the tobacco industry like buyers to explain why prices for the commodity are still low.
According to the legislator, the committee also wants to be appraised on the review of the Tobacco Act, among others.
Dzoole Mwale added that the meeting is timely since the fertiliser selling points like Admarc will open this week.
He disclosed that after the meetings the committee will embark on a monitoring exercise to ensure that the subsidy programme is implemented effectively.
Government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati could not be reached for comment on how Mutharika will work with the committee as Agriculture Minister following Dzoole Mwale’s revelation that the committee has no mandate to summon the President.
Kabambe said Tuesday’s meeting is specifically for technocrats. |
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