Corporate News
ARM on the spot over blending of fertiliser
A police officer guards some of the fertiliser bags. Thousands of bags were recovered at the ARM stores in Athi River town during a raid. Photo/PETERSON GITHAIGA
Posted Thursday, March 18 2010 at 00:00
The latest fertiliser saga comes amid complaints that the government’s subsidy programmes were not reaching the intended beneficiaries due to poor management at the NCPB.
Mr Booker Owuor, a researcher at Sower Solutions, said poor controls at NCPB stores have created loopholes for profiteers to cart away consignments meant for the poor.
Mr Ruto said about one million bags of fertiliser were awaiting clearance at Mombasa port and would be available to farmers soon.
The fact that NCPB officials did not have information of an allocation done by its former managing director at the beginning of last month also cast a dark shadow over reforms that the government has been carrying out at the parastatal to make it more transparent.
Early last year, the government shelved the maize flour subsidy programme after most of the consignment meant for the poor ended up with well connected businessmen.
The US government also sidestepped the NCPB in its Sh40 billion credit guarantee scheme for importation of maize over corruption allegations and opted to support private sector
.
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