ISPAAD tractor owners in stalemate with gov’t
Friday, November 25, 2022 | 310 Views |
Farmer ploughing with a tractor.PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Since the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD)'s inception in 2008, tractor owners say government has been paying them P1,160 per hectare for their ploughing services.
However, the Botswana Tractor Association says that the rates paid by government have remained stagnant for more than a decade and the costs of providing mechanised tillage services have increased through pressures such as inflation, fuel, and spare parts.
When claims of such gravity are made, especially by a sitting Assistant Minister they cannot be brushed aside, delayed, or treated as routine political noise. Even the Ombudsman has confirmed receipt of a report from a political party and a review of these complaints is now underway. That is a necessary first step. But it is only the beginning. The seriousness of the allegations demands urgency, transparency and clarity. The public is entitled to...