Millions lost to paper farmers, O’Neill says

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill had told Parliament that hundreds of millions of kina went missing to “paper farmers” through the controversial National Agriculture Development Programme.

“We are all concerned about the abuses that took place at the NADP programme,” he said.

He did not give the exact figures of the amount missing.

“Many paper farmers took out grants that were meant for the development of agriculture in the country.Hundreds of millions of kina were wasted in that programme. I will make sure that the Minister for National Planning submits to this House a full report (on that programme). “I understand that investigations are complete and those reports will be made available. 

“We will do as much as we can, under existing law, to try and recoup those funds.” 

He was responding to a series of questions from Deputy Opposition leader and Bulolo MP Sam Basil on the programme.

Basil wanted to know what the Government was doing about the paper farmers who had stolen millions of kina through fraudulent means.