“Expenditures on unending workshops must stop”- PM Nabbanja tells Agriculture Ministry officials

The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja has told officials from the Ministry of Agriculture that improved service delivery should top on their agenda in the next five years.

“As President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni charged us at the swearing in of Cabinet, this Kisanja is about improving service delivery. It is incumbent upon you to ensure that we improve service delivery. Plan to uplift Ugandan farmers and not your own lives as bureaucrats. Expenditures on endless and unnecessary workshops must stop,” Nabbanja said.

“For this Ministry in particular, we all know the general outcry from our farmers on problems of poor agricultural inputs, lack of extension services, lack of markets, lack of water for production, among others. It is high time that we improved service delivery to our farmers. ”

Nabbanja was on Thursday speaking at the closing ceremony of a five -day retreat for Ministry of Agriculture officials and technocrats held at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.

She insisted that the new term is about service delivery, noting government officials should supervise government programs to ensure their success.

“Anybody who procures or authorises procurement of fake seeds, or fertilisers or acaricides is a criminal and should have no place in public service. We must not condone such criminal and corrupt acts and individuals who give government a bad name and image. I hope these issues were discussed and firm solutions proposed to end them once and for all.”

Commenting about government’s performance, Nabbanja said only 40% of the 60% National Development Plant III was achieved last year, noting that there is need for improvement.

“We want to see more resources on things that improve the lives of our people such as improved inputs, quality assurance and improved standards of agriculture produce, creating better markets for farm produce, improved extension services and farmer education programmes.”