Finance ministry permanent secretary, George Guvamatanga has reiterated Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube’s remarks that “traditional” Command Agriculture was now being phased out.
Speaking to Alpha Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube on the platform In Conversation with Trevor, Guvamatanga said that the new version of ‘Command’ agriculture is premised at enhancing transparency in the scheme.
Guvamatanga indicated that the difference between the traditional and new version of the scheme was in the way it was being funded. He said:
The transition or the movement from how we now fund agriculture is that rather than government funding directly through injection of money and treasury bills, we have said to the banks, we will give you guarantees. Play your traditional role as banks.
He vehemently dismissed the possibility of having politicians abusing the funds saying that the scheme will no longer be funded from the national budget.
Guvamatanga added that the newly introduced electronic voucher system will scare corrupt people away as beneficiaries are required to open bank accounts and be credit rated before being given an electronic voucher they take wherever they pick up the inputs.
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