2023-10-11 08:40:56
According to the finance committee which analyzed the audit report, the objective of this audit of the Court of Auditors was to propose necessary improvements in budgetary management so that the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and livestock is up to the new management method established by the organic law relating to public finances concerning the program budget.
The audit covered two aspects, namely, the evaluation of budgetary and accounting management conditions and the evaluation of internal control capacity.
The commission noted a budget increase of 28.4% in the capital expenditure section of the national budget for the financial years 2020/2021 to 2021/2022 following an increase of BIF 6,292,610,949 for this section following growing demand fertilizers by the population.
The overall budget execution rate in relation to the voted appropriation is 162.8% in 2019/2020, 88.5% in 2020/2021 and 163.8% in 2021/2022.
The commission noted that MINEAGRIE does not carry out regular counting and monitoring of its staff. Likewise, the commission noted that 215 vacant positions have not yet been replaced, which hampers the implementation of the ministry’s activities.
The human resources department does not have appropriate software for personnel management, especially in terms of monitoring the career development of all staff.
Minister Dodiko recognized that the ministry has a deficit of 500 employers who must be hired, in some cases it will be replacements, but it will be necessary to define the recruitment modalities.
The deputies noted that this lack of personnel, in particular agronomists, agricultural instructors and veterinarians, but also the poor supervision of the population have an impact on agricultural activities and production.
The deputies pointed out that the population tends to abandon coffee cultivation in favor of financially more profitable food crops, especially as even land is dwindling.
The minister recognized the facts, and as a solution, we must encourage, and this has already started, the establishment of state-owned industrial coffee plantation blocks or cooperatives to increase coffee production.
But as the tendency to abandon coffee is mainly due to prices, the minister replied that the government will invest in direct access to markets. This is, he said at this time, that the producer will be paid the fair price, otherwise currently Burundian coffee is sold through intermediaries.
MPs raised concerns about the effectiveness and quality of FOMI fertilizers while the government recommends them to the population.
Minister Dodiko acknowledged that FOMI fertilizers are not effective for rice cultivation. The solution was to accept that rice farmers use urea for this crop which needs a lot of nitrogen.
The minister promised MPs that soon a large team of experts will be set up to rule on the effectiveness of FOMI fertilizers and will produce a report on it.
For the minister, there was a problem because FOMI had a monopoly on the supply of fertilizers, but the government accepted that other investors produced fertilizers. The government’s position is that it is now necessary to regularly evaluate whether fertilizers meet the needs of the population and are consistent with the state of the soil.
To the question of the scarcity and high cost of seeds, the minister said that the government’s program is for there to be production of seeds within the country, whether at the level of ISABU and private investors. .
The national assembly recommended that the ministry observe all the recommendations made by the Court of Auditors and regularly monitor their implementation.
#Minister #Agriculture #answers #questions #MPs