South Sudanese lawmakers query distribution of tractors
May 20, 2015 (JUBA) – Members of South Sudan’s legislative assembly have queried the purchase and the recent distribution of tractors in the country on grounds that the process was not carried out in accordance with institutional norms and procedures.
He however said the distribution of the tractors should have been done in accordance with institutional norms, guiding rules and regulations.
“The distribution should collaboratively have been done by three institutions. It should have involved the ministry of agriculture, the cooperative bank and agricultural bank,” Deng said on Wednesday.
“This was what was discussed in the assembly and majority of the members agreed that some procedures were not followed. I hope these views will be taken into consideration so that the relevant institutions take over the distribution so that they are put into use immediately”, he added.
The legislator said the council of ministers was a policy making body and should not have been involved in the distribution of tractors.
George Bureng, a lawmaker from Central Equatoria state, concurred with his Warrap counterpart on institutional policies and rules.
“These tractors should in the first place have been purchased through the agricultural bank in collaboration with the ministry of agriculture. It is the work of the Ministry to organize farmers into groups, call it cooperatives or association,” Bureng said.
He added, “These groups can be assisted with loans on specific terms from the agriculture bank. They will be assisted these tractors after committing that they will produce food to sell it and to pay the cost of tractors in an installment basis”.
(ST)